Lucky Rabbit
by Luckywild
Summary: An E. Aster Bunnymund x OC fic. Faustine is a Maneki-Neko, whose purpose is to bring good luck. But she'll need luck if she ever wishes to impress and win the heart of the fierce and free Bunny. Throw in dangerous trolls and a lot of uncertainty and you've got a story growing..COMPLETE - go to Guardian of Luck for the next part of the story.
1. Lucky Rabbit Chapter 1: Lucky Meeting

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter One: Lucky Meeting

The humanoid feline ran on her four limbs, her back legs bent like a feline but her arms straightened like a human's as she tore past the various people in the town called Pleasant Hill, California. She came to a sudden halt, breathing heavily as she pushed up to stand up on her back legs, nose twitching.

Her ears flicked with excitement. She was fashioned after the family's beloved epitome, the Maneki-Neko, or the Welcoming Cat, who originated in Japan and eventually, a long time afterwards, found their race in America. Her grandparents were actually from San Francisco but her parents had moved to a smaller area to help out with the much needed luck.

Actually, her entire family was much like that symbol, though they preferred to be referred as ancestors as well of the Japanese Bobtail cat, as that was the Maneki-Neko had been fashioned after.

She had a pile of curls for her hair, one perfect chocolate curl falling between her crayola blue eyes. The rest of it was alternating between gold and chocolate curls that gathered at the back of her neck. Her fur was cream-colored, with chocolate dipped ears and various chocolate and gold patches on her fur. She had a bushel of fur at her front, one rather puffy bunch at her chest and the other, slightly less puffy at her abdomen that trailed into her nether regions. She had a pert, squat, and rabbit-like tail of cream and partial gold. Her pink nose was surrounded in gold fur that covered up the bridge of her nose and over the curves of her mouth.

And she bore the family heirloom, a crimson red, thick collar with a oversized goldenrod bell.

"It's Easter! It's Easter!" She bounded down the steps of the town hall, diving into the streets and coming to where the park close by was located. Children were laughing as the party was beginning for the morning. Everyone was excited to look for the coveted treasures, one of which was a hollow egg that had a hundred dollar bill.

But she didn't want money. She didn't even want the candy or sweets or even the eggs. She looked around carefully for any telltale signs of the Easter Bunny.

There was a man in a costume as she snickered at the awkward moving of the 'bunny' as he greeted the younger children who reacted with great joy.

She flicked her koban, that is, a gold coin that originated from Japan. It was etched in Japanese symbols and was heavy to hold, as it was solid gold. "Will I meet the Bunny today?" She asked it as she flipped it high.

One side was etched in Japanese symbols, the other not. If it landed on the side it didn't have so, then she wasn't going to be lucky today.

She closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to really see the results. After years and years of wishing and hoping, the only time she never had luck was with this one simple wish.

"Please, please, pleaseeeeee!" She begged out loud, paws clasped tightly. "Just a glance is all that I ask for!"

"Hey! A gold coin!" A little boy yanked up her coin and tore off as the feline stared in utter shock.

"Wai..wait! That's mine! It's a family heirloom! It's worthless to humans, it only works for me! Wait! Give it back to me, you little brat!"

She ran, halfway hopping and running as the kid ran fast, hand held up with his new prize. "Give it to me!"

She hissed, arching her back in rage as she jumped with perfect precision.

Then the boy tripped on an hidden Easter egg and the coin went flying as she tumbled and rolled back onto all fours, gasping as she held her side. Her paws went frantic over the grass, desperate to find it. "Oh, Mom and Dad are going to kill me!" She wailed.

She was hunched over, buttocks slightly up in the air as her tail was twitching. The pooka, or oversized rabbit looked at the back with a scratch to his head. He eyed the coin and easily bent over her hunched form to drop it in front of her.

Her eyes picked up on it fast as she bounded and played with it like a cat would play with a mouse. "Yes! Yes! Ha ha!"

She stood up and spun around. "Thanks so much…"

Her blue eyes met with his green as the E. Aster Bunnymund, or Bunny as he was commonly referred to, stood with crossed arms.

"What're you doing, mate?" He quipped, one ear falling to side as her arm slowly fell back to her side. She huddled down, on her bent back legs as she was wordless.

"Well?"

She really wanted to say something. Her eyes were huge on her face and Bunny was actually quite impressed with how soulful the feline's eyes were.

"Hi." She squeaked. She took her koban and put it into her bell. "Ummm, thank you, Mr. Bunny, for returning my treasure."

"That wasn't intentional, just luck that the kid tripped. What are you doing here while I'm working?"

"I… wanted to see what you do?"

"Are you saying or asking me?" He bent down himself and scratched his ear with ease. "Kind of small, aren't you?"

"It's the breed," She fiddled with her puffy-furred fingers. "I'm.. just small. I'm fully grown!" She added hurriedly.

He was ignoring her at the moment, distracted as the last of the eggs were being found. "Heh, I love watching the children. I forget how much fun it is to see their joy. So much hope and love."

He glanced at the girl and looked awkward at the worshipping gaze that the girl had. "Ummm…"

"Oh!" She bounded around him, hopping on all four legs like a kitten would. "I'm Fautine Bobtail, the Lucky Cat!"

"Oh, one of those that migrated from out of state, right?"

"Actually, out of state. My grandparents came from Japan, who brought my parents with them. I was born JUST as they came to America. Literally, on the boat ride!"

"Ah, I see."

He straightened. "Last one collected! Wait.. There's one more.. Ahh, I'm afraid I hid it too well."

"No, you didn't!" He turned to see her bounding off as she dived under the bush, into the tree trunks and dug at the very thick foliage as she pulled out the last egg. "Right here! I can keep it, right?"

"Why would you want to keep it?"

"What, oh, yea… no, I don't have, like, a keepsake of them.. At all.." She trailed off. She walked back to him and dejectedly offered him the egg.

"Do you even celebrate Easter?"

"Of course I do! I'm sort of the only one who does but.. I love Easter!" She blurted out, face tinting red.

His ears went back in confusion as he stared down at her. She came just to the middle of his chest and was so young looking, it was throwing him off. But his nose in overdrive kept reminding him that this wasn't a kitten at all.

He wiggled his nose in irritation and rid himself of her scent. "Yes, well," He took the egg gingerly from her. "It was nice meeting you… Faustine."

She beamed when he said her name and then huddled down as he took off, making a hole in the ground as he disappeared in seconds.

She looked at her empty hand. "I guess… he just didn't want to notice me." Faustine felt disappointed and rejected.

"I have all the luck in the world to give.. To everyone but me. How ironic." She sat down heavily, stretching out her limbs as she was dimly aware of how happy the children were being.

She pulled back out her coin, then flipped it as she sighed. "Will I ever find love?" She asked it sadly as she flipped it and closed her eyes tightly. It hurt, in her chest. She finally, finally, finally got to see her most beloved icon and he didn't even seem to care about her. He was so happy with the children, that seemed to be the only thing that made him smile.

She peeked out and frowned suddenly. "Where did my koban go!?" She felt panic begin all over it.

She spotted it then, unnaturally rolling away from her as she bounded after it on all fours as a hole opened up underneath the stunned bobtail as she shrieked as she disappeared into the rabbit hole.

She landed hard, the scent of spring strong in the air. She pushed up and made a face. She then watched her coin lazily roll by her side, as if teasing her before it quickened and went down the hole toward the beacon of light. "Hey! What are you doing, you stupid coin!?"

She bounded off the ground, making a nosedive as she skidded on the ground, paw grasping the running coin as her face went into the back heel of Bunny. He hopped on one foot, crying out as she tried to think past the spinning in her head and vision.

She was hefted up by the scruff as he glared at her. Her vision slowly returned as she stared into the darkened green eyes. "Ummm.. Hi again?"

"Crikey, what're you doing?"

"My coin was acting funny."

"You.. Your coin? How does it do that?"

She shrugged. "I asked it a question and then it just… sorta rolled off into the hole."

He dropped her unceremoniously on the ground. "Well, I'm busy so if you don't mind.."

He took off. And every time he returned, he found Faustine still there. As the night began to fall and Easter day began to end, he was very tired of her beaming face.

He went to his carrot patch and began to nibble, pulling more to make carrot soup for dinner. He was aware of the big blue eyes on his backside as he rolled his eyes.

"You're not doing a very good job at hiding your feelings," He told her without turning. "I've got nothing to get you to eat either so why don't you go on home, huh?"

"I can eat carrots!"

"Right, and mice and fish isn't up your alley."

"I'm versatile!"

"Look, mate, how about you leave, huh? I've had a long day and you're just pushing it."

"I can make you dinner."

"No, you can't. You don't know how to work with carrots. I do, so bug off."

"But.."

"I said get lost!" Bunny yelled. He towered over her, glowering at her. "Now get on home. You're probably missed!"

"I am not a child! I've been on my own for at least twenty years!" She shouted back, pushing up so that their noses met. "Don't you dare treat me as such! Don't you know what I do? I bring good luck, fortune, and happiness! Not unlike yourself, either," She bit out. "I thought you'd be a better man than this but.. You're.. you're… a meanie!"

She then bounded off with a broken hearted sob, diving into a rabbit hole and popping out back in town. She tore off and eventually found the Cat's Haven, a place were the mystical felines lived in safety. Not quite existent on Earth's reality, it was a pocket of space, just one of many, where her kind lived.

She found the cat scratcher where her family lived. Their homes were literally fashioned after the various cat scratchers that existed, her home was the tallest at four stories tall and filled with many rooms. She claimed one floor herself as home, and it was the fourth. Where she could easily jump into from the outside but climbing the high tree next to the window of her bedroom as well as the front door, which was what her family's preferred entrance.

She pushed through the door and was quickly greeted by her frantic mother. "Where have you been?!"

She was slightly taller than Faustine, and nearly all white save for barely black tipped ears and a tiny splash of black on her right toes. Her black hair fell heavily down her back, all the way to nearly the ground. This would be Faustine's mother, Anabella, who controlled almost everything in the household.

Her daughter not being counted.

"I was out."

"For all day?! You usually come to lunch! You must be hungry!"

Faustine's stomach grumbled loudly as she became embarrassed. "Whoops. Forgot to eat."

Her mother dragged her to the family table where her father, a tortoise calico of gold, brown, and black, majority of him being gold, sat at the head of the table. Like most of the males in the family, he didn't have the 'human-like' hair going for him. He did have a lot of fur on his chin in a pseudo-beard.

"Erik, you need to have a talk to with your daughter!"

"She's an adult, dear, she doesn't have to listen to us," He responded, reading the newspaper. "Huh, there's my good fortune! I knew it'd end up on the papers. Wait'll I tell Steve!"

Anabella rolled her eyes. Her husband had a tendency to have competitions with the other neighbors on who could bring the best good luck to people.

"Erik.."

"Now, now, she's home, now isn't she?"

"Dad, I want to move out."

He choked on his coffee. "Augh..! What? Wait! You love it here!"

"I do but.. It's not my place. You made it with the other neighbors. I want my own home, my own space. I've collected a LOT of good luck and I think I have enough to make my own home!"

"Honey, talk to her!" Anabella begged to Erik.

He lowered his cup with a low sigh. "I suppose you're right, Faustine. You've been independent for years. We've only kept you here to be kept safe, because there are things that can go wrong or bad. But.. You'd been doing a great job at bringing luck and fortune and most importantly, happiness. It's time you made your own happiness, my dear."

His chin trembled with both pride and sadness as both looked at each other with tears in their eyes.

Until Anabella burst into loud, violent tears and beat her hands on the table. "No! No! I will not! Remember what happened to Uncle Ledge?"

"You mean Great Uncle Ledge who drove himself insane by trying to bring good luck to an insane asylum?" Erik asked skeptically. "Honey, Faustine is not like that at all. Trust me, we'd have figured that out by now."

"It's not that! What if she finds a place that she cannot bring good luck to? And keeps trying? You know once we've started, we have to finish what we have done!"

"I know what to avoid, Mom! I'm not an idiot!"

"You are not leaving! You are not ready at all!"

"God, Mom! You have no faith in me! At all! Well, I'll show you! I'll do it and bring the bestest luck to the world! Watch me!"

She tore off and bounded up the stairs until she was puffing at the fourth floor. "Phew.."

Her stomach grumbled even louder. "Crap. I should've ate something."

She heard it then, a squeaking, familiar noise. "Hmmm… " She watched the mouse scurry away in fright. "Maybe I won't have to go back downstairs."

She laughed softly as she went on the hunt and sure enough, she had her dinner that night. And she found it absolutely delicious. She was cleaning her paws as she though on it. "Well, maybe I wouldn't have liked carrot soup.. But it's not like I never tried it so how would I really know?"


	2. Lucky Rabbit Chapter 2: Lucky Visit

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Two: Lucky Visit

She was quietly sneaking out of her bedroom window, claws out to grasp the just so far out of her reach tree limb as she stuck out her tongue in heavy concentration. She almost had it when her father shouted below her.

"Faustine! If you're heading out to make your home, how about some breakfast first?!"

She shrieked and tumbled down the tree trunk, claws leaving deep gouges as she landed hard on her back feet.

"You know what they say, a cat always lands on their feet," Her father said cheerfully. She glowered at the tree as she rudely mimicked her father before stomping back into the backroom that lead to the kitchen.

"Dad, I just want to go, if I stay here, Mom will…"

"I spent all night but I have made up a list!" Anabella said dramatically. She let go of the roll of paper and it rolled right on by Faustine and right out the backdoor.

"I hope it's all good things," Faustine said carefully.

Her father lifted a sliver of paper. "Actually, that's right here."

Faustine groaned and ignored her mother who began to read loudly from the list.

"Dad, please.."

"Number Four: you don't have anyone to defend you should you ever be injured…"

"Please, stop her!"

"I can't, honey. I couldn't even get her to go to bed. She's been up all night writing that sucker."

"Number twelve: there are a lot of stray, vicious dogs out there…"

Faustine gritted her teeth and said to her father darkly. "I'm going to get dinner on the go."

'On the go' actually meant that she was going to go hunting. Her parents started the saying and Faustine liked to use it. It was much more cleaner and much less obvious. You never knew if what you hunted really was that intelligent.

"All right. You'll send us a message once you've settled right?"

The two of them looked to the mother who was still pointedly reading from her list.

"Number fifty six: you're too young to leave. I didn't leave until I was twice your age.."

"How'd she get to number fifty six?" Faustine whispered.

"Number eighty-two.." Her voice continued loudly, breaking in between.

"I never said your mother could count…" Erik smiled weakly. "Have a good trip."

"Bye, Dad! Bye, Mom!" She kissed each cheek and flew out the door.

"But.. Wait! My list!"

Faustine was gone in seconds, bounding out as she laughed with glee. "Freedom! Yes! Time to find my niche in the world!"

She popped back out of the Cat's Haven into reality as she landed on what felt like freezing water.

Then she realized it was snow. "No! No, no, no!" She shrieked, bounding around. She absolutely hated getting wet. "My poor feet!" Her teeth began to chatter.

One of her ears flicked as it caught sound of voices talking softly. One of which was familiar.

"It was a blast, watching Jamie and the others play around you. Must be nice to be suddenly so popular."

"Ah, mate, I've always been popular."

Jack was resting up in a tree, talking to the Easter Bunny who had stopped by for a short visit before he returned to his warren. Bunny was resting on a large rock, having cleared off the snow and settled on his haunches.

"Oh, wow.." She breathed, peeking over the bush. She then winced as a hand grasped thorns. She pulled her paw away, shaking it as she glowered at the bush.

She blinked then, feeling it as she turned and ran off, bounding off the old, worn path of the forest to enter the town. She ran around the bustling people as the sun was already high in the skies.

She saw it then, an arcade as a kid was looking hard at the prizes inside. She tiptoed and watched behind the big boy as he thought hard on the G.I. Joe toy he was coveting. She waited as he put a quarter into the machine, followed by three more.

As he was just about to start, she very lightly touched his shoulder. He worked the machine as it fell toward the play figure.

It pulled it up as the boy's face lit up and it was happily delivered.

"There you go! A sign of good luck! Look at how happy you are!" Faustine clasped her hands together. "Huh, who else?"

She ran about, mostly dealing with children as they were the easiest. The few adults she did were often to not slip in ice while they carried groceries, or split their pants from doing an unintended split.

"Wow, you work fast."

Faustine perked up, her bell dingling. "You think?" She grinned at Jack Frost.

"Is.. This, like, your territory?" He asked then, carefully.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is this your town?"

"Well, yea, but I don't mind visitors.." He studied her thoughtfully. "I've seen a few statues of you in stores. The. Uh…"

"Maneki-Neko! Or better as the Welcoming Cat! I bring good luck and happiness as well as fortune!"

"Money?" "Well, not that. I don't have that much good luck but I help people go through the day so that when they go to bed, they feel better that their day went so well, you know?" She offered a paw. "My bad. My name is Faustine Bobtail, pleased to meet you!"

"Jack.." He winced as she squeezed his hand tightly. "Frost."

"WOW! The Jack Frost?! You became a Guardian like a year ago, right?"

"Actually, two." Jack shook his injured hand. "I gotta go see Bunny and tell him bye so.."

"Can I come!?" She did the perfect kitten gaze, imploring sad eyes that begged for love and attention. Her paws clasped to her chest as her lower lip trembled.

"Umm… sure."

"Yes!" She tore off as Jack burst out laughing and ran with her, trying to catch up with her.

Bunny, who had been momentarily resting, caught the familiar scent a mile off and grumbled to himself. "Ah, crikey…"

"Hii! We meet again! Oh, I'm finally having some luck! Remember me, right?"

"How could I forgot. You yelled at me and called me a meanie."

She gasped. "That's right!" She then promptly turned away from him, back stiff as she beamed at Jack. "Hi, Jack!" She was now pointedly ignoring Bunny as he rolled his eyes.

"You met already?"

"Yes, and he's a meanie."

"Well, you got him there."

"She does not!"

"What'd he do?"

"He insulted me."

"She can't do anything with carrots! She can't cook them, can't eat them.."

"I can too! You just need to give me a chance! I like the things you like!"

Bunny flushed as they glowered at each other.

"Wow, she's actually a lot like you."

"No, she's not! She's a cat!"

"I'm a Japanese Bobtail," She turned her buttocks toward him, pointing hard to her bushy, bobtail. "Bobtail! You remember that!"

Jack was laughing hard. "You have the same tails!"

"My tail is much more longer and fluffier! Look at it!" Bunny turned his hip and showed off his tail.

Jack fell to the ground, screaming in laughter as Bunny realized he was actually showing off his buttocks more than his tail. He sat down hard, glaring at her as she blinked.

And carefully leaned to gaze at his tail.

"It is cute."

There was a heavy pause as Bunny lowered his head and Faustine slapped her face with her palm. "I can't believe I said that out loud."

Jack's laughter rose in the air to become the icy wind. He was holding his side, gasping for air and unable to stop laughing.

"Why would you say that?" Bunny hissed.

"I.. um…ahem.." She patted at her curls. "Because, well… umm… It was the truth. I couldn't help it!"

"Oh.. God.. Make. It stop…."

Bunny glared at Jack. "I'm going."

He struck the ground with a paw and disappeared. He rolled into his warren only to feel the warmth of a smaller, furry body on him.

"You're following me?!" He pulled her up by the scruff. "What the Hell do you want with me?!"

She blinked at him, trying to look innocent as she tried vainly to think of an answer.

"You have really pretty eyes, too." She blurted out.

His gaze moved upward as he seemed to wonder what exactly he should be doing He gingerly let her down and then crossed his arms.

"Look, as much… as it's flattering to be liked.. By well.. A cat, I have to nip this in the bud. You're just not my type."

She turned flustered. "How do you know that? Why not? I'm a lot like you, you know.. I don't bring hope but I bring good things too! If you just gave me a chance!"

"I'm sorry but no." He started off toward his own personal warren.

She huddled to the ground, pain in her chest again. She had spent years watching him from the sidelines, longing to talk to him, to at least make friends with him. And he wasn't even willing for that, she thought angrily.

She rubbed at her cheeks, stained by silent tears. She took out her coin shakily, sniffling.

"Will I ever be loved?" She asked it hoarsely. She threw it up as she reflexively closed her eyes tightly. She heard it land but couldn't bear to open her eyes.

She rubbed angrily at her face. "All I ever wanted… was this one simple thing. That one thing that I never had any luck in! Why can't I have this? I never asked for anything else!"

She couldn't bear to touch her coin as she bounded out of the warren. She landed back in Bergess as the sun was setting. The snow began to fall as she bounded out of the forest but couldn't enter the town. She just didn't have it in her to do anything.

The moon began to fall upward as the snow didn't quite let up but it turned to silver as the moonlight danced on the lightly falling snow.

She sighed tiredly. She couldn't believe that Easter was just yesterday and she had finally met her most treasured person. Who didn't want anything to do with her.

She was shivering, huddling into a tighter ball. She was dimly aware of the need to find safety. Humans may not see her but dogs still could.

She sneezed and then coughed hard. She was shivering harder as her teeth began to chatter.

It opened below her and without preamble, she tumbled down to land on the soft grass as the warm air swum around her.

She rubbed her arms hard as she slowed her chattering. Her nose flicked and she began to sneeze frequently.

"Here, have a…" Bunny tried to offer a tissue but each time she reached for it, she sneezed before she finally managed to grab onto it. She was exhausted from all the sneezing as she wiped her face.

She watched him hold out the coin as she took it. Without saying anything, she found a tree with a hollow base and entered it, settling in in a perfect curl as she tucked the coin back into her bell. She closed her eyes and seemed to fall asleep instantly.

She didn't know how long her cat nap lasted. She woke up to the smell of something sweet and orangey. She looked at the bowl of carrot soup as she slowly approached it. She bent down and took a quick lick.

"Hmmm.. It really it sweet… and tangy too.. " She took a piece of carrot. "A little chewy but I've had chewier."

She finished off the soup in moments. It wasn't the best thing she had but she didn't mind it. After all, she knew that Bunny himself made it and that made it ten times better.

She settled back in the tree trunk, trying to settle. However, she was starting to feel a little strange to be sleeping in a tree. She tossed and turned, put herself on her back, legs bent against her. She flipped and tried to rest on her front.

She was softly growling in frustration. "Augh… why can't I get comfortable? I'm supposed to be able to sleep on anything!"

Her nose then picked up the heavy scent of grass. She poked her head out and walked out cautiously until she spied the massive pile of grass. She bounded into it, rolled around a bit, and then made herself a nest. Her nose twitched as the slight pull of Bunny's scent on the grass before she fell asleep. It took very little for her to stretch out all of her limbs, stretching her spine as far as it could as she snoozed, completely unabashed to reveal everything.

Bunny couldn't stop himself from looking down. "Wow… she really is full grown."

He turned red as he threw a blanket over her sleeping form. "Just like a cat to sleep like there's no problems. Sheesh.."


	3. Lucky Rabbit Chapter 3: Lucky Spot

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Three: Lucky Spot

She was dreaming, caught in a beautiful vision. She saw her home, a magnificent looking cat scratcher with many windows and a two-door front entrance. It was lively and full of noise, between meows and thumping. She giggled to herself in her sleep, still sprawled out.

"How long does she sleep for?" Bunny should've been kicking himself for even watching her sleep. But she just seemed so damn relaxed, he vainly wished he could do that. All a rabbit could do is partially sleep, after all, you never know where your hunter would be.

Even though he was six feet tall. Ever since he was young, and he was told horrific stories about those that hunted rabbits, he'd always been a little unsure of other various creatures.

A cat being one of them. And he had one that seemed to have a crush on him. He didn't know exactly what to do. She literally shut down when he turned her down. He didn't think she was told negative things all that often.

He toed her. "Come on, wake up already!"

She giggled loudly. "Oh, E! The children are precious!"

He slapped his face. "I really hope she's not dreaming about me."

His nose twitched, catching the high signs of arousal. He growled loudly and then began thumping his leg in clear irritation.

"Wakey wakey, kitten! Get your ass up now!"

He was impressed by how high she jumped when startled and grinned as she landed on all fours, looking absolutely stunned.

"Good, you're awake. Go home."

"I have to make my home!" She rubbed at her eyes. "How long was I asleep?"

"A long time."

Her stomach grumbled. "Got any more carrots?"

He blinked and looked to where the empty bowl laid. "You actually ate it."

"It was delicious."

He stared her down skeptically.

"Okay, not the best thing in the world but well.. Since -you- made it, it was all the more better."

He gritted his teeth. "I'll just skip that."

He then scratched his ear with his back foot, confused. "You have to make your home?"

"Uh huh! We call them Cat Havens. You find a pocket of space and make your niche in the other realm."

"Ah, I see. How'd your kind get from Japan to here?"

"Boat!"

She stretched leisurely as her ear cocked suddenly. She heard the soft scurrying as she blinked slowly. "You have mice."

"I'm aware of that. They're drawn to the eggs…"

He watched her lung away from him and closed his eyes at the heavy crunch. "Well, that can help control the population."

"Oh, look! Another one!" There was another crunch.

"Don't you at least cook them?"

"What?" She looked over her shoulder in surprise, sucking up the tail. "It ruins the taste!"

He winced as she went on the hunt. He hid himself out of necessity before she found him easily.

"You have a lot of mouse holes around here. You're not very clean."

"I'm sorry, but I don't really have any problems with the mice."

"They eat your eggs."

"I'm… well.. Yes, that they do… oh, get nicked!"

She looked at him, utterly confused.

"Go away!"

"You don't want me to help you out with the mice?"

"Aren't you full yet?"

"You didn't say anything about the carrots."

He paused. "Get lost!"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Can I come back?"

"Augh! You're making me argo, mate!"

"Stop talking like that!"

"It's Australian! I happen to be an Aussie, mate and I'll talk however I want!"

"Fine. Can I come back?"

He threw up his arms with suppressed anger. "If I say yes, will you leave now?"

"Yes!"

"I really shouldn't be encouraging this but -FINE- you can come back."

He was thrown onto the ground by a rather hard hug from coming from such a tiny humanoid creature.

"Thank you! Time to find me a niche! Before Mom finds me and keeps reading that stupid list!"

She disappeared into a rabbit hole as Bunny staggered to a sitting position.

She was laughing as she hopped out of the hole and back into Burgess. She thought a moment and then ran off to find Jack.

She found him looking into the lake thoughtfully. It wasn't as iced over as he wanted but as Spring had officially arrived, he couldn't make it snow anymore. So he was opting to eventually rest for a while before going somewhere cold and fun.

"Yooohooo! Hey, Jackie!"

"Jackie? Jackie?! It's Jack, Jack Frost!"

Faustine snorted. "Fine, whatever, Jack Frost." She added pointedly. "Look, can I stay here?"

"This is my pond."

She rolled her eyes at the possessive boy holding his staff menacingly.

"Not here, doofus. Look, do you have anyone who brings you good luck?"

"I bring my own luck."

"To humans! To hu-mans!"

She paused. "And other things too but I usually work with humans."

"I noticed. I'm not sure if there are any of you around. I doubt is as I've lived here for like centuries."

"But you said you saw statues."

"I did. And that's it. Nothing like.." Jack waved at her.

She was captivated by the ties on his shirt when he moved.

"Ummm… Hello?"

She was carefully batting at the ties before turning red. "Sorry. Knee jerk reaction."

She beamed at him. "So can I make my home here?"

"Sure, why not…" He reached out for her as she jumped high. "Hey, wait, how are you.."

She landed and then tapped on her bell. "Lucky, Lucky Cat!" She called out gleefully as a portal opened up. She peeked into it and saw the white space of nothing. "Crap, I really have to make it all from scratch."

She remembered her dream and the vision of her perfect cat scratcher. She thought hard and saw the outlines form in the whiteness. The outline stretched to form into a yard with wild grass and flowers.

"I'll have a home in a few days.." She blinked at him. "Do you have anywhere warm where I could stay for a while?"

He shook his head. "Sorry. I tend to keep things cold. Remember, Frost?"

"Oh, that's all right. I'll just stay with E."

"E?"

"Easter Bunny!" She called out as she left. "He said I could come back!"

"Did he now?"

She had to study her new surroundings. She knew she wasn't going to stay forever here but she needed a solid location to create her Cat Haven. But for the time being, in order to keep herself lucky, she needed to spread it around. There wasn't much to do, it was a small town but she coped.

She spent her day out and about, learning and giving luck as she saw fit. She crashed at Bunny's Warren and tried to stay out of his way. He was doing a lot of resting, having spent months and months planning out Easter. He now had a few months of peace and quiet and she was polite enough to leave him be.

Most of the time.

There were the few times where she peeked in on him. She tried to be friendly and she left him presents in the forms of woven bands of leaves, grass, and flowers. She really wanted to leave him some mouse bits but she had a sneaky feeling that he probably wouldn't like that.

She was out and about in Bergess when she caught a putrid smell. She frowned as it reminded her of something but she wasn't quite sure.

"Fi, fie, fo, fum.. I smell the blood of a itty bitty kitten.."

The ground shook under the decayed colored, massive foot. Its nails were overgrown, torn, and filthy, which matched everything else about the troll. Its loincloth reached nearly to the ground and yet, sadly didn't cover its entire rear. It was three times as bulky as the Easter Bunny, a thousand times worse smelling, and all the more frightening to someone who only heard legends about the various trolls in the world.

"Umm… are you a garden troll?"

He smirked, half of his teeth gone and the rest painted green and moldy. His head was almost bald save for the various uneven, bleached white strands of hair.

He leaned over her with a glint in his beady, black eyes.

"Geez… what's with my luck? Is it because I finally got my wish? Wait! Is it Friday the 13th?"

She looked frazzled. "I haven't spent anytime near a calender! Oh, please don't be…"

The foot came barreling down. "Friday the 13th!" She ran on all fours, running fast as she looked for a place to hide.

There was a bitter wind that sped up next to her as ice formed and zoomed her past the trees into the deepening forest. Jack landed as he looked warily out.

"Was that a troll?" He asked softly. "I've been seeing them lately around here. Not the good kind, either."

"Oh, it reeked so badly," Faustine collapsed onto her back, gagging. "It was so big too! So frightening!"

"Well, they don't have a good nose so if you just avoid them, and it shouldn't be too hard, you'll be fine. Is your home almost done?"

She blinked and then tapped her bell. "Lucky, Lucky Cat!" The portal swirled open as she peeked in. The cat scratcher was nearly solid save for the bottom part though in the next day or so, she could start living in the cat scratcher.

"Wow.. That looks like fun." Jack was impressed. "It's so big. Hoping for a big family."

Faustine remembered the now often viewed dream. "I… I wish.. But it's not going to happen."

"You're really hard up on Bunny, aren't you? What in the world is it about him that makes you so crazy? I mean, come on, he's a hard ass, bitchy, full of himself guy."

"But.. But don't you ever watch him when he's not aware? How loving he is with the children, never playing favorites and treating them equally. How he smiles at them… it's such a beautiful look.." Her gaze turned dreamy. "I just wish that for one moment, I could be the recipient of that look. To feel that warmth and love.."

"You're a cat."

"There have been other interspecies coupling, you know. The Griffin for example? Or the Hippogriff? Or the Sphinx? Also, what about the Chimera?!"

"All right, all right. I just wasn't all that sure it'd, well, work out."

"It would! We'd have beautiful children."

Jack sighed as he tapped the staff to the ground in contemplation. "Well, you have to get his attention first."

Faustine stretched her hind legs. "You'll help me get his attention?"

"Sure, why not. You seem honest in your feelings. I know how it feels to be ignored and it's not fun nor fair."

"He kind of already knows I like him."

Jack smiled awkwardly. "Yea, you don't really hide it."

"I do too!"

"He's mentioned your.." Now Jack turned uncomfortable. "Well, your scent."

"What about my… ooohh, crap." She dropped down to rest on her heels. "Umm… let's skip that for now."

"Great because I can't help you with that anyways."

"Hey, wait, he talks to you about me?"

"He does. He doesn't know how to deal with you because apparently, you can't take no for an answer."

"I can too! I just don't like it!"

Jack stared her down.

"Well, I… I'm a cat! We don't do 'no'! We just wait until we get our way."

"Yea, that's what I thought." Jack pointed his staff at her. "All right, here's how it's going to go down. I'm going to keep talking about him and I'll talk all about the good that you've been doing. That's been impressing him. You gotta do something big that'll stand out! That'll touch the whole town!"

Faustine blinked. "After my home is built, right? I'm using up a lot of my luck on it."

"Yea, sure, it'll be a while for me to butter up the bunny."

"Great!"

The two shook hands on it.

"And you have to realize, that this might not work," Jack added warningly.

"My Dad spent three hundred years courting my Mom. It'll work out, I'm sure of it!"

Jack sighed. "If you insist."


	4. Lucky Rabbit Chapter 4: Lucky Strike

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Four: Lucky Strike

Faustine was so excited. Her home was finally finished and while the grass still had to fill out, she was absolutely delighted. She looked into each, already decorated room with glee. It was fashioned a lot after her parents' home but over time, she'd be able to personalize it better.

Her favorite room, however, was her bedroom. It was massive, with big, wide windows that brought in a great amount of light, all focused on the massive cat bed, complete with a just as massive pillow and a soft, wooly blanket. She took her time kneading on it with delight, purring loudly. It was the best thing for her but what bothered her slightly was that it was a little too big.

"Made for two," She hunched down sadly in her front yard. She had decorated her opening and path with the various Easter eggs she 'found', all of them hollowed out and carefully preserved with its outer beauty. "And no one to share it with."

There was a sound of a bell ringing in the distance as a smaller portal opened and her parents walked out.

"Oh, honey, Thank the Maneki-Neko that you are in one piece!" Anabella threw her arms around her tightly. "Oh, I missed you so much! Why didn't you visit?"

"I've been busy, Mom," Faustine tried to pull away. "Dad, can't you help?"

Her mother's nose was going into hyper drive. "Why do you smell like a rabbit!?"

"Umm.. Want a tour?"

"Erik!"

"I'm sure there's a good explanation."

"I really don't want to talk about this." Faustine began to hurry into her home. "Can you please drop it?"

"Oh, god, it's your infatuation with the Easter Bunny, isn't it? I told you and told you that we do not mingle with that kind! We hunt that!"

"I don't hunt! And it's not an infatuation! Why do you always belittle my feelings?" Mother and daughter stood, forehead to forehead.

Erik gently pulled Anabella away. "It's all right, Faustine. We'll drop the subject."

"No, we will not! I forbid you to interact with that.. That.. Rabbit!"

"You can't tell me what to do!" Faustine shouted. "I love him and that's that!"

"That is not that! I have found you a perfect mate, he's kind, sweet, handsome, and fierce.."

"I don't want whatever you picked up, Mom. I want to do things my way, on my own. Why do you think I made this? It's for me, it's my home!"

"It's big," Erik said, behind the arguing women. He was outright ignored as he looked at the Easter eggs with curiosity.

"You will not! You will do it my way! Just as I have done with my mother, I did quite well, by the way.."

"You wouldn't even give Dad a chance at first!"

"That's nothing like this. This! This!" Anabella pulled up an egg. "This is a foolish, idiotic notion that should be flung out of your head!" She dropped it and slammed her heel angrily into the egg.

Faustine screamed. "Don't!"

Her mother began to slam into the others as Faustine screamed in rage and lunged. Her claws were extended as she forcibly moved her mother, both hissing and scratching before Erik used his luck source to create movement between them, dividing them harshly.

"That's enough, Anabella." He spoke with finality.

"No!"

Faustine was gathering the broken shells, sobbing in pain. "My beautiful keepsakes…"

She looked at her mother in anguish. "How could you be so cruel? You're a terrible mother!" She shouted and then left her Cat Haven, sobbing.

She landed, to her surprise, in Bunny's Warren. It hadn't been intentional but she must've wanted to arrive. She found the same hollow tree from before and hid herself, crying to herself.

It took Bunny time to realize she was in his home again. He watched her from a distance, expecting her to pop out in joy at seeing him. He inched closer and eventually picked up the sound of crying and the deep scent of pain and anger.

He sat a couple of meters away, listening to her quietly. He found that he didn't like that she seemed to be hurting. After all, underneath his rough disposition was a good guy. He bit his lip and tried to think if he had done something to make her cry.

But he only remembered that he seemed to bring out a righteous anger and that she never kept to that.

Bunny sighed before he put himself at the entrance. "Hey, Kit, what's wrong?"

Her eyes were blood-shot already with puffy eyelids. She tried to talk, her lip trembling furiously as she curled into a tighter coil and sobbed.

He rubbed his head, feeling awkward. He had two choices, he realized. He could just walk away and let her sob her soul out or go in and comfort her.

He had to be careful, he grumbled to himself. He inched into the hollow tree, his body taking up the rest of the space as he finally managed to sit on his buttocks.

She moved automatically, curling into his lap as she cried softly. He never felt so awkward but he silently stroked her hair as he wondered just what in the Hell he was doing.

Bunny finally leaned back against the warm bark and fell asleep shortly after she did. He awoke to very soft snoring, his ear flicking as he felt a familiar presence.

"Please don't find me, please don't find me, please don't…"

"What give, Bunny? I wait an hour for you to show and you sleeping in a.. tree?" North huddled down, surprised. "Who's that?"

"Shhhh… It's… a long story."

"Long story?" North laughed boisterously. "She likes you, what's so long about it?"

"I said shhh!" Bunny hissed.

"Umm…" Faustine's eyelids twitched as she rolled off his lap and her face hit the ground. "Ow!"

She looked up with startle. "Oh, sweet Haven, it's Santa Claws!"

"Is me!" North beamed.

She then slowly looked behind her. "Umm… was I in your…?"

"No." He pushed past her, walking away hurriedly.

"He was holding you, such sweetness! You make good couple!"

"North!"

"Really?!" Faustine automatically perked up. "You think so?"

"Oh, yea, cute couple! Cute babies!"

"Ah, crikey, I should've let her be on her own!"

"But you didn't! You didn't!" She pranced around him. "So you DO like me!?"

"I am not having this conversation."

She suddenly faltered, eyes filling with tears.

"Oh, oh, geez, mate, don't cry, kit! Don't cry! I'm not argo at all!"

North was shaking a finger at him with slight reproach.

"It's not that.. I remembered why I was so upset. My mother.." Faustine gave a sob. "Stomped on my beloved keepsakes! We were having an argument and she thought she could forbid me to not see you and then she stomped on my eggs!"

"You have eggs?" North asked in a hushed voice.

"How did you get eggs?!"

"I found those that no one else did! I then hollowed them and made them into cute little decorations on my lawn… but she broke five of them! I work so hard to keep them perfect too!" She was sniffling as she rubbed at her face.

Bunny opened his mouth to yell or to retort or to be angry that she was taking something of his. But he couldn't find anything but sympathy. He put himself next to her. "Hey, hey. How about I make you some personally?"

Her downward gaze slowly lifted, eyes growing huge and soulfully. He hated to admit it but he found that he rather liked that gaze.

"Really?" Her voice came out teeny and full of wonder. "You'd make me some personally?"

She burst onto him, throwing them both to the ground as she hugged him. She then bounded off and danced around, playfully batting at the pretty flowers as she purred loudly.

"I get new eggs! I get new eggs!" She said in a singsong voice. "And it's not even Easter!"

"Doesn't take much to make her happy, heh." Bunny looked embarrassed. He rubbed at his ear as North smirked at him. "Stop staring."

"She is cute," North pointed out. "Sweet thing. She's not a child, right?"

"No, she's fully grown."

Said grown humanoid feline was still prancing around like a kitten, now singing to some of his Warrior eggs. They had spun into their happy faces as Bunny rubbed a hand down his face, dragging his cheek downward.

"Crikey, I need to stop listening to Jack," He told himself. "I got to nip this in the bud!"

"Nip it in the butt?" North began to laugh loudly. "I didn't know you like such things! Cute, Bunny!"

"That's not what I said!" He flushed at North's loud laughter. "Oh, don't make me cheezed off, mate! You don't want to see me angry!"

"Ah ha ha ha!" North laughed loudly.

Faustine bounded next to him, sniffing. "You smell sweet. Do you have cookies?!"

"I sure do!" He pulled out a cloth drawstring bag and opened it. "Here. Is cinnamon!"

She sniffed it and then took a big bite. Her eyes grew huge. "Wow. They're beautiful!"

"Is good, no? My Yetis make them."

"What do your elves do?"

"Pretend they do things."

"North, why are you here?"

"Oh, that's right! Have you noticed anything dangerous around here? Lately, I've been finding strangeness."

"Like trolls?" Faustine offered.

"Yes!" North pointed at her excitedly. "Yes! That! The North Pole is unapproachable but lately there have been trolls in other places. As well as other badness but these are certainly found around where Jack lives. He's been talking about their smells."

"Oh, god, yea!" Faustine sat on her haunches, holding her hands to her nose. "It's awful!"

"You've seen them?"

"They found me. They seemed kind of… hungry."

"Crikey!"

"Almost got me too. Jack helped me out."

"Don't you know how to defend yourself?" Bunny demanded, arms crossed.

"Of course I do.. Kind of.. I can run really fast!"

North shook a finger. "You stay away. Pay attention to your nose, it tells you things! Don't let mind wander."

"Gee, thanks, Grandpa," Faustine said sarcastically.

Bunny snickered and pretended to be serious when North eyed him.

"She good girl. You keep her, Bunny. She makes you happy."

"Stop saying stuff like that! It's hard enough when she does it!"

"She knows better!" North fled from the flustered Easter Bunny.

He settled back on his hindquarters and slowly looked to his right side. She had placed herself there with big, wide, expressive, and hopeful eyes.

"Sooooo… you're going to make me some eggs?" She fluffed up her torso, arms clasped down in her front as she peaked up her shoulders to look coy.

Bunny smirked. "Cute, Kit. Cute." He hopped off as she was given the option to join him and they spent the rest of the afternoon working on designing and painting. She had to watch him a while before she got the hang of it. Nonetheless, while he remained pristine and clean, her paws were streaked in rainbow colors.

She licked at her hands in irritation. "Augh! Why won't it come off!?"

"Because.." He had to stop talking as she looked up at him with a rainbow colored tongue. He covered his face as he chortled. "Your tongue!"

She kept her tongue out. "It tastes funny."

"You have paint on it!"

She shook her head. "I need some water!"

He pointed to a clean, clear stream. She lapped at it and spit out on the side. He was laughing harder, holding his side.

"Oh, it hurts.." He finally slowed down his laughter. "Phew. Haven't laughed like that for a while."

"Great for you, but now I need to get the taste out of my mouth." She bounded out of sight and he heard an audible crunch. He rubbed his side, still chuckling as he let her be.

"Trolls, huh? They've been getting closer to the towns. Wonder what they really want?" Bunny couldn't think of what or why and decided to put it on the backburner to muse on it for a while.


	5. Lucky Rabbit Chapter 5: Lucky Insight

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Five: Lucky Insight

The humanoid Japanese Bobtail bounded hard, past the growing plains and the soon to blossom spring flowers. She hit the ground hard, fleeing as her nose picked up the telltale signs of a troll.

Or from the reek of it, maybe more. She had just left Bergess and was stunned to see how close that the trolls were at to the townspeople. She had heard whispers of pain and anguish as beloved pets were going missing. Faustine was furious, both at the trolls and herself.

"What good am I if my luck can't protect them?" She berated. She paced angrily close to Jack's pond. "Stupid, stupid! I need to gather more luck. I need to do something spectacular, wondrous, joyful!"

She sat on her haunches, glowering. "But my home is still growing.. Augh! No, the people and animals come first! It'll be fine for now. Not like I have any reason to expand it."

She looked around suddenly. "Where's Jack?"

Jack was preoccupied at the North Pole, as he arrived there with more information about the trolls that were trespassing in Bergess.

"So what gives, Jack?" North demanded, crossing his burly arms.

"They're Hunting Trolls."

"Augh!" North stamped his foot. "They're to stay in their habitat. Out of way, safe for them. Why do they dare trespass?"

"I don't know, low food source?" Jack offered with a shrug.

"No, no, no! Not that! They have plenty but trolls are difficult, idiotic, and shouldn't be smart enough to leave!" North thought hard. "But they aren't good at all. They are bad, very bad for the environment. They destroy everything, eat anything."

"That's just it!" Jack waved his staff. "They've been eating pets from the children and adults. Even managing to capture feral animals as well."

"Once they start feeding, they cannot stop. They must be banished back to their world."

"How?" Jack looked perplexed. "They're freaking giants, man! I've tried to ice them and it barely took effect!"

"We must find someone who can make portals big enough.. Powerful enough to send them in."

"Bunny?" Jack said after a pause.

"Bunny might work… but he might not. Need more than power, need to have strength. Bunny will wear out if he has to fight them out. They stupid but unbelievable strong."

"I know just the person to help.." Jack said with a slow grin. "And hey, it'll be a bonding experience for them." He rubbed his hands together gleefully.

The two headed off the Bunny's Warren. The sleigh came to a halt at one of his more broader entrances as North easily maneuvered the reindeer to land perfectly. "Hey, Bunny!" The two shouted.

"Crikey, can't a mate get a wink of sleep?" Bunny popped out from behind the rock he'd been resting on. "What's the deal?"

"We have a solution for the trolls." North clapped his hands. "You fight, Kitten makes portals!"

"Kitt.. You mean, Faustine? She's a bit young for the job, don't you think? Plus, she needs to use good luck."

"She has you! You have lucky rabbit's foot!"

"Lucky rabbit's… I'm not cutting it off, mate!"

"He didn't mean that!" Jack snorted. "It'll work out. I'm sure of it. We just have to get them sooner rather than later or else they might get brazen and take out actual people."

Bunny looked stunned. "Seriously?"

Jack jumped up onto a low rock nearby. "They've been eating pets and stray animals, even getting feral animals."

Bunny's ears went back. "Oh, geez, that's horrible!"

There came a familiar bounding sound as Faustine came in, carrying a Tupperware. "I made you lunch!"

She lowered herself and turned red at the sight of North and Jack. "Whoops. You have company."

"Aw, she bring you lunch." North went to Bunny's side and elbowed him playfully.

"It's just a salad!" Faustine protested. "Umm.. Here."

She offered it, looking down at their feet. He took it and opened it, the sweet and sharp smell of carrots, onions, croutons, and red lettuce hit his nose.

"Thanks."

"Good thing you're here, Kitten," North wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "We need your help!"

"My help? Really?! What do you need me for?"

She looked up at North with bright eyes.

"She's a pretty kitty," North said with a grin to Bunny. "Big eyes! Full of wonder!"

"North, keep to the damn subject!"

"Oh, right! We need your portals!"

"My portals?"

Jack leaned on his staff. "North, how about talking about the whole picture?" Jack turned to Faustine. "Remember those trolls?"

"I do! I just got away from one."

"AGAIN?!" Bunny's voice could be heard in the background as Faustine smiled weakly and lowered herself to the ground.

"Well, they're not supposed to be here. We have to get them to go back and that's where Bunny comes in. He, and us, will fight and push them back while you open the portal to their world."

"Sounds reasonable."

"It does sound easy but it's not," North butted on. "Is hard work, Faustine. Takes a great deal of power. You need a lot of luck. Though, you are in luck for you have a rabbit's lucky foot!"

"I'm not cutting it off!"

"That's not the point!" North snorted. "There's luck in Bunny. So there you start."

Faustine blinked. "Oh…. Sure.. Yea.." She rubbed her head. "I'm still learning about luck. That's why I only do small things. I can't do anything big and that sounds like what you need."

"Do what you can, there's still time. We'll keep an eye on the hunting trolls and hope for the best. We can do this!" North offered a hand for a high-five and was stood there as Bunny and Jack looked at each other.

"Don't leave me hanging!" North grinned as Faustine jumped nimbly and swatted her hand against his. "That's good!"

North and Jack eventually left as Faustine followed Bunny.

"Look, can you go somewhere else? I'm a little tired of babysitting," Bunny said, setting aside the lunch she made. "I'm tired, I want some peace and quiet so how about you go on home."

"Oh… what about your lunch?"

"Thank you but I'm not hungry right now." He walked off, leaving the lunch. She faltered and once more lowered herself, feeling small and insignificant. She went to great lengths to be sure everything was super fresh. She based everything on scent alone and as it was something she was not familiar with, she suddenly thought maybe she had done something to insult him.

Her paws reached out for the lunch. "I'm sorry, Bunny. I won't bother you." She tried to call out but fumbled at the end. She then opened a portal and returned home, rejected.

Bunny had heard her, of course, and every emotion in that voice and was silently cursing himself that he may have come across harsher than intended. He then asked himself if that's what he wanted.

He found he couldn't really answer that.

She put the lunch in the garbage in the kitchen and then headed to climb to the second floor, right into her bedroom. It didn't matter that the sun was bright and warm, making the room feel welcoming and homey.

She curled into the bed with a low sigh. "I wonder where I went wrong. I have been busy at his place. I suppose I should just focus on my job."

Her eyes slowly closed, tears gathering at the corner. "But what's good luck now when I have none?"

She stayed there for who knows how long. Her parents eventually came to visit because Faustine had stopped communicating.

"Honey?" Her mother peeked into the bedroom. "Oh, honey, what's wrong?"

"I don't feel so well," Her face was hidden in the comforting blanket.

"Your bell.. it's gray! Honey! Where's your luck?" Her mother demanded. "Erik! Erik!"

"What?" Her father barged in with worry and then went to comfort his daughter. He licked her head and then frowned. "She's feverish."

"Her bell!" Her mother pointed wildly.

"It's gray!" His eyes grew huge. "Honey! What's wrong? Tell us so we can get you your luck!"

"I don't have any." Her voice was dull. "It hurts too much."

Her father touched his bell and his fingers turned gold as he carefully touched her bell. The transfer of luck was worthless as the gold fell off like dust.

"She's depressed," Anabella hissed. "We need to find out what's…"

Anabella's ears went back suddenly. "It's that rabbit! That damn rabbit! How dare he!"

She tore out, already with flexed claws as Erik followed with a shout.

"Honey! He's three times your size!" He shouted as they dived into the portal Anabella made.

She landed hard in the land of spring. Her hiss filled the air. "RABBIT! RABBIT!"

Bunny was in the distance and heard the howl of rage. His ears went back as he stood suddenly, turning away from Sandy. They'd been playing cards as well Bunny pouring out his heart to the one person who was bound to not say anything to anyone else.

"What the Hell?" He poised himself into a fierce pose, trying to look dominating.

"You stupid rabbit! How dare you break her!? Break her heart! Her spirit! You stupid, idiotic RABBIT!" Anabella shouted. She glared daggers. "She's turned gray! Do you KNOW how dangerous that is? That she can die if she doesn't change back!"

"Die?" Bunny was confused.

"Honey, I don't think he's aware…"

"Of course not! He's got no heart to care about her feelings. She's been after you for DECADES, nearly a damn century! She's kept your stupid eggs, defended your so-called honor, and you break her heart! Well, thanks to you, she's dying!"

Bunny was stunned. Anabella was about to yell some more when his foot hit the ground and he disappeared into the hole silently and swiftly.

He popped out into the half-made yard of Faustine's Cat Haven. However, everything was turning brown and void of existence, as if slowly being erased. He entered with a hurry and used his nose to follow upstairs.

He goggled at the size of the massive bed before he spotted slight movement. He hopped up onto the cat bed and carefully pulled aside the blanket.

Faustine was shivering from the fever, her bell indeed gray as stone. Her eyes were halfway closed as tears still leaked out.

"Kit?" Bunny asked hoarsely. "Hey, Faustine!"

"…sorry…" Her voice was raspy and weak. "I'm… sorry. I'll leave."

He put his nose to hers. "Hey, hey! Kit, come on back there. Come on, Kit."

Her eyes closed tiredly as she shivered all the more harder. He pulled at the blanket, throwing it off as he carefully wrapped himself around her.

"Faustine, it's all right," He told her gently. "It's all right. I didn't mean it that I didn't want to see you again. I'm sorry, that was my fault. I just… was getting tired of all the damn teasing."

His forehead pressed on hers. "Come on, Kit. You're all right. You have your luck still."

"No.. I don't.." Her vision was blurred by both disillusion and pain. "This.. Is just.. Another dream." She broke into a sob. "That's all… I'll ever… have.."

He rubbed his nose anxiously against her. "No, no, it's real. I'm here! I'm here, Faustine!"

He didn't know what else to do and in his frantic thinking, he bit her nose.

She reared up from the sharpness of the teeth, crying out as she fell backwards, Bunny catching her as she stilled.

"That hurt."

"You can't feel pain in dreams, at least, not physical pain," Bunny corrected himself.

She looked up at him, very tired and drained. She managed to her side before closing her eyes. "Why.. Do you say… such things?"

"What things?" Bunny asked.

"You.. Always make it seem like I' m a third wheel," Her eyes were slits, glittering with unshed tears. "I just.. Wanted you to like me."

"I do like you!"

"Then why am I always in the way?" She half-gasped with a sob.

"Because you are in the way! You put yourself right in my view and I have no choice but to interact with you!"

His gaze softened. "And I need you to do that."

He moved slowly, licking at her wounded nose. "I'm sorry. I'm not as friendly or as open as you. I've got a lot to deal with and it's harder when I can't seem to decide what I really want."

"Like what?"

'Like what the Hell to do with you?! You realize you've been leaving me presents? Am I supposed to give something back?" He pretended to look indignant.

She giggled weakly.

"And your painting is atrocious. A lot of heart but you spread the paint more than use it. What's that all about?"

He sat, pulling her into his lap. Her head rested against his thigh as she relaxed. She fell asleep as he carefully maneuvered the collar to look at the collar. There was tiny pinprick of gold.

He looked around her room and spotted the eggs he had made, now surrounding a large mirror as decorations. All around the room was little bits of Bunny, his flowers, his eggs, and even the coloring of the room was based on his fur.

"You have it bad, don't you?" He rubbed her head gently. "How.. Exactly does your kind work? To be with another?"

Her voice was sleepy. "Our love.. Is eternal. There is never anyone else. That's why… Mom realized she was meant.. For Dad." She yawned widely, exposing her pink tongue and sharp teeth. "Sometimes it takes a while.. But the luck of the Maneki-Neko…will shine when we're ready."

She fell back asleep as Bunny looked around again. He then carefully fixed himself into the bed, falling to his side lightly as he pulled himself around her carefully. He touched the Lucky Bell and dimly heard it ring. He hadn't realized it but he'd been hearing that soft sound in his dreams.

He sighed lowly and then settled in for the time being. "Trolls are nothing compared to this," He told himself. "Did it have to be so complicated?"


	6. Lucky Rabbit Chapter Six: Lucky Heart

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Six: Lucky Heart

She stirred, confused, dazed, and starving. She felt as if she had dragged herself, or rather, someone else had dragged her out of a dark and empty hole that she had been furiously digging at, terror at her heels and pain, so much pain, in her chest.

Faustine cracked an eye open, feeling the tightness of grit in her eyes. She rubbed at them with irritation. She yawned and stretched, arching her back as her claws extended and she kneaded lightly.

"OW!"

She jumped ten feet in the air and fell off her cat bed with a shriek.

"Oh, god, am I bleeding?" Bunny hurriedly patted his chest where she's been unknowingly kneading at. "Phew."

He looked up to see her big eyes peering over the edge. Her eyes were so big, that they were all he could see, not even her nose or ears, which had fallen to the sides as she looked absolutely stunned.

"Hey there, Kit."

"What.. Are you doing… in my BED?!" Her voice was hoarse. "Did we…?"

"NO!"

She ducked away from his yell.

"I mean, you were sick. Don't you remember?" He hovered over the edge. "Very sick. Your bell went gray."

Faustine jumped into the air. "IT TURNED GRAY! How could.. Oh… right.." She huddled, her paws in between her legs. "You rejected me."

"It wasn't rejection! I just needed a day off from.."

Her eyes peered up, tears glimmering.

"I was a dumb bunny," Bunny corrected himself. "You.. Don't take no very well."

"Yea, it's kind of a cat thing. People usually like how I am."

"I like how you are!" He protested.

"No, you don't. You told me to go away!"

"I.."

"And now.. You're in my bed and I don't know why!"

"Because you were sick and ill and I didn't want you to hurt and you seemed better when I was holding you and.."

Her hand was rubbing her nose gingerly, distracted. "I feel teeth marks.."

Her eyes went huge, her pupils shrinking sharply. "You bit me! You.. You bit me! I REMEMBER!"

She bounded high and purposely landed on him. "Aw, you're so sweet!"

Bunny rolled his eyes. "The mood swings I can do without," He muttered as she nuzzled against him, purring loudly.

Bunny tried to get up but he was held down by her tightened grip.

"Not letting you go." She told him with a deep purr in her voice. "Not ever!"

Bunny grunted and dragged himself out of bed, taking her with him.

"When you're determined, you're determined."

"I love you, you know."

"Ay, crikey. Yea, you've been making that very clear."

"I don't expect you to say it back." She said pointedly. "But I had to let you know."

"Again, you've made it very clear."

There was a moment of silence, broken by the loud rumbling of a certain feline's stomach.

"You've been out of it for at least two weeks. I'm surprised you have the strength to hold onto me.. So tightly…" He pushed at her at this point, really unable to get her to let go. "Sheesh." He stopped, grumpy.

"Let's go eat!" She tore out of the room, dragging him with her.

"Hey, wait… Oh.. No, not down the…"

She pushed him down the stairs on the banister, both of them sliding down to touch off at the bottom floor. She bounded with glee into the kitchen and began to search excitedly in the fridge.

"Yea! Mom's casserole!"

Bunny didn't know what was in it but it did look good.

"Umm…" She pulled it away. "It's made with chicken. You're a vegetarian, right?"

"Right, right.." He searched the fridge, finding the vegetable drawer with carrots, snap peas, various lettuces. "How is it that you have so much food?"

"Smells like Mom stocked it. But Dad did the vegetables. I guess he thought you'd be staying longer."

"Your mother is very intense," He closed the door with his free hand. "Where's your utensils?"

"Right on the left side, top drawer." She was placing the casserole in the oven. "Now for a snack to tide me over.."

She went through her cabinets. "She really stocked up… oh, look, tuna!"

She opened the can with glee and took a spoon.

"Just.. Like that?"

"I usually like tuna salad but eating it like this is fine. It's still cooked by the way."

He nodded, turning away to chop at the carrots. He made himself a large salad and pulled out some vinaigrette.

"I have salad dressing?!" Faustine asked in surprise.

"I guess you do," Bunny smirked as she peeked around him, sniffing furiously.

"It smells so sharp.. Tangy. Is it good?"

Bunny took a large bite, crunching. "Very good."

There was a ding. Faustine threw up her hands. "Yea!"

She ate the large casserole in one setting. Bunny had long since finished off his salad and watched, impressed, by how much she could fill herself.

"Sure you won't be sick?" He asked with a slight smile.

She stretched, licking her lips. "Nope! I could actually eat two of those if I really wanted to. I burn up a lot of energy sometimes and we need serious sustenance."

"Faustine?!"

The daughter tried to hightail out of it only to feel her scruff grasped by Bunny as he put her to the entrance of the kitchen. Her mother barged in, wrapping around her with a very loud and happy purr.

"That's my…" Her eyes turned to slits at the sight of Bunny. "How did you get here?!"

"Honey, we knew he was here, remember?" Came the tired voice of Erik. "Hello, Mr. Bunny," Erik said politely.

"G'day, mate."

"Well, let's just.." Her mother spun, still holding onto her now wiggling daughter. "Get away for.."

"Daddy!"

Erik sighed loudly. He tapped his bell, the ring sounding off as Faustine was teleported a few feet away from her mother. Her mother crossed her arms and glared at her mate.

"Honey, why is it that everything we've talked about flies out of your head?" He tapped her head pointedly. "We came to see how Faustine is doing. Mr. Bunny did an excellent job taking care of her."

"Well, really, I…" Bunny mumbled, embarrassed.

Anabella did a haughty sniff. "Well, I will never believe that. Honey, I'm glad you're all right but don't you see now where your problem is?" Her mother held her by the shoulders.

"Dad…." Faustine dragged out that single syllable with big eyes.

Erik took his mate by the collar and began to walk to the door. "We'll check in on you later or if you want to, come visit. Our door is always open, sweetheart. Say goodbye, dear."

"Keep your hands off my daughter!" Was the final hiss of Anabella before they disappeared out of the house. "I WILL BE WATCHING!" She could be heard shouting.

"I take that back. She's not intense. She's freaking terrifying."

He led to the back. "Let's go back to Jack's pond. We've been having some long conversations about the idiot trolls."

"But I don't think I can help."

Bunny frowned. "Of course you can! There's nothing you can't do. Remember? You got me to like you?"

"I did.." She was still uncertain as she followed him out of the home. Bunny took a discreet look around, seeing everything as it should be. He felt better as they disappeared into his rabbit hole.

Jack was at the edge of town. He had been by other cities and soon picked up the putrid smells of trolls, even close to well-populated cities, not just small towns. The trolls were still targeting animals at this time, and not yet daring to traverse into the cities. But they've been causing vehicle accidents and several people had been injured, and a small amount killed.

North was trying to find out where exactly the trolls were leaving at. There shouldn't have been any openings. All those who had malevolence had been bound to a significant place where they would do as little damage as possible.

"How are they getting out? What do they want?"

Phil came barging into North's study.

"Don't you ever knock?" North bit out, startled from his thinking. Phil spoke in garbled tongue. "Ah! She is better now? Good! We must convene with Jack as well. Send them here."

Phil left with a nod and gathered a few snow globes. He then disappeared into a made portal.

"Jack!" Bunny bounded close the pond. No longer frozen, it was still and quiet, in fact, still and quiet all over. "He's not been here for a while."

"We can find him in town, maybe?" Faustine offered.

They went into Bergess where the two kept low and out of sight from children.

"Why am I hiding? They can't see me!" Faustine whispered to Bunny. She nuzzled closer to him, already having been as close as she could get while 'hiding'.

Bunny carefully scruffed her and pulled her down slightly. "I don't know but I need you to stop rubbing on me."

"Do you like it?" She asked impishly.

He stared her down pointedly.

"Fine. I'll stop."

He took a few steps forward before the glare formed upon his face. He looked to his backside to see her playing with his tail. "DO YOU MIND?!"

"Geez, I can't do anything!"

He grabbed her by the collar and started to drag her. "You're such a kitten!"

They searched the whole town and didn't find a hint of him.

"Maybe he went somewhere cold?"

"No, I don't think that's it. He's been doing some searching in various towns. He must've gone far. Let's go back to the pond and wait there. He'll return by nightfall."

"Yea!" She bounded off, running on all four limbs. He tore off after her as it became a race to see who was faster.

He was bigger and stronger but she was smaller and lighter. She blazed off as she called out to Bunny. "See you at the winning circle!"

She danced around the pond when she got there, gloating with glee and pride. "I beat the bunny! I beat the bunny!"

He came up, holding his side. "Phew…"

"That was unintentional luck! Thanks for making me some!" She landed at his feet before straightening. "Do we really have to wait?"

"It won't be long, it's.." He eyed the skies. "Early afternoon."

He sat down at the edge of the pond, dipping a foot into the still cold water. "Summer's almost upon us," He rubbed at his fur. "It'll be getting hot, I hate that."

He glanced at her. She had placed herself a distance away, eyeing the pond with distrust. He smirked and kicked up water, splashing her.

She flipped into the air with a cry and then spun around in circles to get the droplets off her. "Don't do that!"

She stopped only to repeat the event as he kicked even more water on her.

He did this a third time before she got angry and she jumped against him, though this sent both of them into the water. He came out partially drenched but she had fallen fully in.

He was snickering. "You look like a drowned cat!"

"That's not funny," She hissed. "I hate water! Absolutely hate it!"

She shook herself off violently. "Augh! I will get you back, you know! Just you wait!"

"Let's see what you can do, huh?" Bunny smirked as he scratched an ear lazily. "You won't be able to surprise me."

She glowered at him as she started to clean herself. He watched with growing interest as she stretched out her various limbs in contortions he didn't think anyone could do. But then, cats were very versatile in how they moved.

She eventually felt his stare on her when she had her leg lifted up, foot high in the air and her nose a little close to her private parts. "Do you mind? I'm trying to give myself a bath!"

She glared at him. He set himself away and pretended to study a tree. Once she started, he kept watching.

Her eyes were slits. "E!"

"How long can you keep stretched out like that?" He couldn't help but tease. "That is really impressive!"

"Oh, stop staring!" She turned her back and tried to continue cleaning herself. "I'll never dry off! My poor fur!"

She set herself on her haunches. "You! You got me wet!"

"I'd do it again, by the way," Bunny said with a droll look.

"Do it against and I'll bite your tail." Faustine said with ears back. "I do not like water!"

He burst out laughing at the indignant look upon her face.

"What's so…?" Jack halted at the wet cat. "You look like a drowned cat."

She burst into sobs. "My beautiful fur!"

She stomped away. "Bunny! I will get you back!"

She disappeared to settle elsewhere to clean.

"Did you want something?" Jack asked Bunny, slightly confused.

"We should wait until she's done. We were going to talk about the troll problem."

"That's going to take a while."

"Talking about the trolls?"

"No, her cleaning her fur. Maybe if I frosted her…"

"That's only going to make her into icicles! She's just gotten better!"

"Awwww… so you DO care!"

"SHUT UP!"


	7. Lucky Rabbit Chapter Seven: Lucky Search

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Seven: Lucky Search

Faustine was doing her best to clean up but the sudden bright burst of light in front of her eyes didn't help. Nor did the explosion of sound help either as she covered her ears in vain.

"Shut up already!" She shouted. "Geez!"

She peeked up at the large Yeti and screamed. "MONSTER!"

Bunny was just finishing his sentence with Jack when claws grasped into his chest, legs wrapped around him from behind as a terrified Faustine held on for dear life. He moved and her arms shifted to wrap around his neck tightly.

"Faustine!" Jack shouted as Bunny tried to breath.

"Monster! Monster!" She held tighter. "Protect me!"

Bunny managed to get a hand off his neck. "Protect you? You're trying to kill me!"

"It's a monster!" She hopped off, turning Bunny to the Yeti as she cowered. Bunny looked behind him skeptically.

"You've never seen a Yeti?" He plucked her up and put her in the front. She wiggled wildly as he snorted. "They're North's henchman."

The Yeti spoke in garbled tongue, upset.

"Fine, workers. Whatever. He's probably here to take us to North."

"How?" Came her strained whisper. "He's so big!"

"I thought I was big," Bunny muttered.

"You are!"

"You bet he is," Jack said off-handedly as Bunny pinched him. "Ow!"

"Look, mate. You take Jack and we'll take the hole. We'll meet you there." He nodded to the Yeti and Jack and then thumped his foot, grabbing Faustine by the hand.

"But I'm not dry yet!" Her yell was heard echoing as the two disappeared.

"Fine, I'll come. But no bag this time."

The Yeti shook the globe and shattered it as the two disappeared.

Jack was already talking to North who had brought in a lot of cookies and milk for snacking. He was shooing at the elves with irritation who were trying to steal his cookies as Jack used his staff behind him to help the elves get the cookies.

Bunny came out of the doorway hurriedly. "Mate, I need a blanket!"

Faustine appeared, her fur chipped like icicles and her eyes cold with anger. "I wasn't dry! I told you! Now look at me! I can't feel my face!"

North retrieved a large blanket and directed the frozen cat to the fireplace. "Here, you melt off while we boys talk."

"But I want to be a part of the conversation," She stuttered.

"You will, just dry off," Bunny ordered.

"Fine. I'm going to get you back double." She muttered, turning away sharply. She sneezed hard.

The boys actually went off to North's study, leaving Faustine alone. She wished they had stayed so she could at least hear the conversation.

A plate was offered to her by Phil.

"Thanks," She took a small one and nibbled. "This place.. Smells so strongly.." She eyed Phil. "Though all I'm picking up is you."

Phil looked confused then lifted up his arm to sniff at himself. He made a face and then put the plate of cookies on a nearby small table and left.

She rubbed her paws and offered them to the blaze of heat that came her way. She felt better in a while as she shrugged off the blanket and went to the study.

"I don't think that's a good idea!" Jack was protesting. "We can't get them all in one piece. Have you seen how big they are? They're strong! It's better if we get one at a time."

"That's too long," North shook his head. "Need something faster."

"Jack might have a point, North," Bunny said quietly. "They're strong."

"But the poor children.."

"You mean poor animals," Faustine said loudly. "They're too stupid to attack…"

The three stared at her. "Really?"

"That's why they've been banished to their realms. They eat anything and once they get more brazen, they're going to do horrible things. Not just children but adults too! It won't matter to them in the end."

"But.. We can't get them all at once. They're all over the place!"

"Fine! But we need to do quickly and quietly," North said with a gruff look. "Their smell is started to be noticed by the people."

"So what's the plan then? Where do we start? What do we do? Do I get to kick butt?"

Bunny burst out laughing. "You don't know how to kick butt. Leave that to me, Kit. I'll take care of the baddies. You make the holes."

"What if I can't open a hole?"

"You can make a pocket of space into living environment, you can enter their habitat."

"If you say so," Faustine sniffed as she went to the ice sculptures. "Wow."

"Don't touch!" North grasped her scruff. "Trouble enough with the yetis."

"I wasn't going to touch!" Faustine was hauled out of the room by the scruff. "Let go of my fur!"

"Here," North handed her to Bunny who set her back on the ground. She wrapped around an arm.

"Kit."

"What?"

"Let go. You're sending the wrong message."

"I'd say it's the right one," Jack poked Bunny in the back with his staff as Bunny gritted his teeth. "You're so easy to tease now!"

"Don't tease him! Only I can do that!" Faustine glowered.

"But it's fun."

She thought on it. "It is fun."

"Great, I'm leaving." Bunny made a hole as he jumped, Faustine hurriedly following.

He landed in his home as she landed a few seconds afterwards. She bounded around, sniffing at the flowers and saying hello to the Warrior eggs. He watched, bemused, before turning away.

"Thankfully, it's still spring here. Summer's getting so hot." He retrieved a mug and took water from the spring, drinking heavily. "Refreshing."

She was still bounding around, distracted. She then slowed down and sneezed. She was feeling tired again and came to realize that maybe she wasn't as well as she thought herself to be initially.

She fingered her bell and then bounded into a portal, heading off to gather some luck to help her out.

She wandered around town, helping bring shade to an elderly couple, to making the fire hydrant spray water for a group of kids, and ended up in a residence area. She peeked into homes, trying to find some more luck to make.

She stopped a baseball from crashing into a window, bouncing off the side of the house instead. Faustine then found herself following a young couple, teenagers obviously just starting out in finding out about love. The boy looked really anxious, wanting to get closer as Faustine carefully put herself behind and in the middle of the two, taking a hand to each and bringing them closer.

The girl giggled suddenly in delight as she took his hand and he laughed with her, both of them feeling unbelievably happy. Faustine jumped around happily. "Yea! That was powerful luck there! Young love is so cute!"

She was feeling immensely better, having gathered the warm power of luck. She wondered if she could do a massive thing for luck, such as stopping an accident. But that had to be chance, as in she had to be lucky enough to be in that type of situation. She also questioned if it was something she could handle.

Her parents all had a specialty, something that Faustine hadn't found yet. Her mother dealt with those of the elderly, as she enjoyed bringing some sort of peace to someone at the end of their time. Her father dealt with protecting, helping a woman find a phone line to call to get help from domestic abuse, just an example of what he would do.

Both of which were very serious business. She didn't know what her specialty was going to be. Her luck at the moment was of random events and thus weren't as strong as she'd like it to be.

But there was something about love that was powerful. Like that young couple she helped get together. "Maybe that can be my specialty? But I need proof of it." She sat on the ground, musing.

The heat was getting to her as she wiped at herself. "Grrr. Summer sucks when you have fur!"

She walked casually to the edge of town before picking up the smell of a troll. Her nose wrinkled as she swiftly climbed a tree and peered out, her feline vision allowing her to see in a distance and she waited.

It moved slowly, large and frightening. It was off brown, with black fingers and toes, and black hair. She couldn't make out anything else of it as it wasn't too close. It looked like it was searching for something.

She waited until it was getting too close to the town. There was a small park where children played while their parents or babysitters watched. Some of the children didn't have anyone watching them at all.

"They are getting brave," Faustine shimmied down the tree and slunk low to the ground, moving on all four.

She ended up behind the troll who was eyeing a young girl picking flowers. Faustine took a rock and threw it hard, watching it bounce off the back of the troll's skull. Like all others, this one was massive at nearly nine feet tall and broad and fat. And it had a really ugly face.

"Ugh, only a face a mother would love.. NOT!" She jumped high from the swipe of the massive paw as she tore off. "Come and get me, ugly pants!"

It moved, shaking the ground as she bounced off the trees, benches, and ground, using all four limbs to speed away.

She came to a distance, hearing and seeing nothing. She kept low to the ground, her nose sniffing furiously.

There was a thump to her left as she turned sharply. "I smell you!" She hissed. "What are you doing with the kids? You should be leaving them alone!"

He thudded into view, sneering. "Hungry…"

"You speak?"

"Us speak, us trolls. I Hedge. You kitty, make good meal!" He didn't charge at her though.

She was feeling a little worried. She thought they'd be more stupid and animalistic, without actually having any human traits such as talking, albeit like an uneducated fool.

"You need to leave the children alone! And the animals! Go back to your home!"

"Us hungry.. For blood and meat. For what us lost long ago. You in the way, kitty. You be gone!"

"Can't get rid of me if you can't catch me," She jumped nimbly from his swipe. "Come on, stupid, that the best you can do?" She burst out laughing, bouncing out of reach each time he tried to grab her.

She landed on a high rock, her stub of a tail flicking. "Let's make a deal. You leave and you won't get your butt kicked!"

"You weak, kitty. Us too strong."

She frowned, not expecting that. "We are stronger than you think!"

"So us," Hedge smirked, his gums showing. "We many now. You can't stop us."

She heard it then, rustling in the distance. She tore off and made a portal, disappearing quickly. She landed in her home, heaving. She felt terrified.

"They're not as stupid as legend made them out to be. She sat down and licked at her shoulder, still upset. She suddenly wanted to be somewhere safe and warm and it wasn't in her home.

She made another portal and entered Bunny's Warren. She found him fast asleep, breathing slow and relaxed. She paced around him, on all fours as she tried to find a place to get comfortable. Each turn around him got her a little closer until she found herself at his knees, settling down with her whiskers touching his leg. She curled tightly and tried to fall asleep.

But that troll really bothered her. She wondered suddenly if they were strong enough. After all, Guardians, Spirits, Elememtals, and the like had little experience with them, as they had been banished so long ago, just before the end of the Dark Ages. She decided to ask Bunny about his own experiences as he had been there or close to that time.

But she couldn't fall asleep. She inched closer to Bunny, climbing on his side, until her head was resting next to his. She continued to inch closer, slow and steady.

Her head rested on his arm lightly as she closed her eyes. She panicked when his arm moved only to feel him pull her up tightly and settle back. He'd done it in his sleep, she realized but she was still suddenly happy.

She thanked her luck with glee as she was held gently by Bunny. One of her most treasured dreams, come true by pure luck. She fell asleep, feeling like a million dollars.


	8. Lucky Rabbit Chapter Eight: Lucky Move

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Eight: Lucky Move

Faustine was playing with her coin, thinking hard. She flipped it casually before she pocketed into her bell and dragged herself off. She first went to Bunny's Warren.

Bunny was currently making all of his paints for the coming Easter in about a half of a year's time away. He was working diligently, preparing to make the paints in the paint river, which had started to become water again. He was humming to himself when Faustine leaned against his back with a depressed sigh.

"Kit, I'm working."

"I have to go."

"That's great, you go then."

"Aren't you going to ask where I'm going?" Faustine protested.

"You can go anywhere you want to go," Bunny said, not really paying attention.

"So if I go meet some guy, you'd be all right?"

Bunny smirked. "Of course."

She glared at his back. "But! I thought you liked me!"

"I like you but not in that way."

"But you care about me!"

"Like a friend would."

"But…are you really sure that's how you feel?" Her voice was small. "I'm about to go visit family and my mother specifically told me that she had brought me a suitor. Are you absolutely sure that's how you feel about me?"

There was a long, heavy pause before Bunny responded. "Yes."

She pulled off his back and took several steps back. Her eyes glimmered with tears as anger rose. "Fine, then! I'll go find someone who cares more about me!"

She was gone in seconds as Bunny finally stilled, looking at the water with a blank gaze. Nothing was visible on his face or in his eyes as he didn't move a muscle.

Elsewhere, Faustine landed in the Cat Haven of her parents' home.

She had a few siblings over, that from the previous litter that her parents had. The three older sisters that helped raise Faustine, who in a rare occurrence was a single litter.

Audris was a look-a-like of her mother, with her black hair cut short and curled by herself. She was the same size of her mother and her black pattern wasn't the same. All toes and fingers where dipped in black and her bobtail was dipped in black. The rest of her was white. Her eyes were ice blue, the same as her mother.

The second born in the litter was Felicia, a tortoise colored feline of black, graham, and silver, with bright yellow eyes. She was bigger than the eldest and more robust as well.

The third in the litter, Zaida, had been the runt in the group, now fully grown and having caught up with her siblings. She was orange and white, the orange in a diamond shape along her spine, to cover the start of her neck and the bobtail. Her ears were dipped in orange as well as her feet.

Faustine was quickly surrounded by the gushing sisters, licking and petting their 'pet' sister as Faustine sighed.

"You smell like a rabbit! Have you been hunting?" Audris licked her lips. "Bet it was yummy!"

"I.." Faustine started.

"Oh, tell us about the kill!" Zaida hopped hard. "Oh, so exciting!"

"I wasn't hunting! I was with the Easter Bunny."

All three of them stared at her then at each other. "Not this again," Felicia snorted. "You're not a cat at all, are you? Grow up, Faustine! You're supposed to be with your own kind!"

Faustine glared. "I can pick whomever I want to be with!"

"Not on my watch," Her mother said darkly before dragging the young tomcat behind her. He was predominantly white with a brown and black striped pattern along his back, reaching to the insides of his sides. The colors reached down the back of his legs and arms, climbing up to his neck and ending at the top of his neck.

"Honey, this is Daryl." Anabella shoved him forward. "He's been interested in courting you."

Daryl gave a cocky smile. "Lucky day, Faustine. I've heard of you and thought you were the most delightful excitement."

She frowned at the uppity tone.

"And as your parents have described you, you need someone like me to help you better yourself."

Faustine looked to her mother, angry. "You want to change me!?"

"Not change you, just fix a few things. Daryl is in the prime of his life, virile, strong, passionate, and with a lot of luck on his side!"

"More than enough to share," He winked at Faustine.

"I don't want your luck!"

"You couldn't possibly want the rabbit's foot?" Zaida burst out laughing, everyone else laughing at her.

Save for her father was in the background, shaking his head and growing upset.

"Now, come on and spend some time with Daryl. I think you'll get along quite well. You'll be having litters in no time!"

Faustine teared up. "You really don't like me as I am? Why doesn't anyone accept me for me?! Why do I have to be treated like this? Like I don't have feelings, that I have to do what you say?! You never made anyone else do so!"

Her mother snapped. "Well, if you weren't such a difficult kitten, we'd fix all of your self-problems!"

"Yea, Mom doesn't want a freak," Audris whispered very loudly to her sisters.

Faustine dropped down, pain etched in her face. "You hate me….you don't want me as your family… because I'm different! Fine! I don't need anyone! Not you, not you, or anyone else! I'll hide away in my niche and live there alone!"

She tore off, sobbing. Audris snorted. "What's her deal?"

"I have had enough!" Erik shouted loudly. "You!" He pointed to Daryl. "Come near my little girl and I'll rip your throat out. -I- DO NOT want to fix her, she's fine that way she is!"

Daryl took off, terrified of the dark look in the father's eyes.

"And the rest of you are such disappointments! You act like you're better but you're nothing more than bitches."

"Erik!" Anabella began.

"No, this ends now! When I fell in love with you, you wouldn't even look at me. You acted like I was nothing but I fought and fought for you and I won you! You fell in love with me because you opened your eyes to see the bigger world, the bigger picture. You have given me five beautiful litters and the most special one, the most important one to me was Faustine. She is so much like me, wanting to be whole and happy and lucky."

His ears went back. "But no. She's not good enough for you. She's never the good daughter or the obedient little sister, no, she's nothing to you. For shame on you! I hope you're happy with how you revealed yourself to her, how you really think of her."

He stormed into the home as the three sisters looked at each other and then to their mother.

"I just want her to find someone more suited for her…" Anabella rubbed her bell. The three sisters left as Anabella went inside to beg for forgiveness from her mate.

Faustine landed in her home, pain etched in every vein. She saw the eggs and raged filled her as she began to slam into them. "Stupid dreams! Stupid hopes! Stupid, unlucky, worthless cat! I'm nothing! Nothing! You hear me!?" She sobbed as she came to the egg that Bunny had personally made for her.

"Why… why can't I be happy? Why must I hurt all the time?" She picked up the egg, asking it in a strained voice. "Am I just unlucky in love? Ist hat why I can make others happy? Just to torment me."

She dropped it as it rolled away from her. The broken shells were lining on the walkway as she sat there.

"I'll just stay here… who wants an unlucky cat."

She took off her collar and stared at the bell. "It's not worth it anymore."

She threw it hard and went to sit at her door's entrance. She sat there as she watched the edges begin to fade. "It'll be better like this. No one will miss me."

She closed her eyes tightly. "Just take the pain away. Please." She begged softly. Tears fell, hot and streaking down her cheeks. "It's not worth it anymore. I can't win so…"

She heard it then, somewhere nearby as a soft ring was heard. "Oh, go away! I don't to ever see you again! You all hate me and can't stand me anyways! When I disappear, no one will miss me! And you can't change my mind!" She shouted at that before faltering to the ground. "No one will miss me."

"Kit." Her eyes looked up, blurry with tears. "What do you want?" She asked, pained. "Go away. I'll leave you alone like you wanted. None of you want me, anyways."

Bunny held up the bell. "Please put it back on."

"No," She spoke coldly. "This is the better way."

"This is suicide and you know it," Bunny spoke sharply.

"What does it matter?" She bit out. She grabbed the collar and threw it. "Just go away and forget about me. It'll be easy."

She went into her home, dragging herself up the stairs. She climbed into the bed.

"A bed made for two… such stupid dreams.." She half-closed her eyes, the pain growing. "Stupid me… for such foolish things."

Bunny's voice broke into her pain. "Please. Put it back on."

"No. Don't you understand, Bunny? I wasn't supposed to be. I'm too different, I don't have any specialty, and no one wants me. I'm alone in this world and left to be alone. And I can't bear that. Loneliness for me is something that kills me slowly and I'd rather die quickly, thank you."

"Put it on," Bunny's voice was ragged. "Please, Kit."

"NO!" It took her last energy to do so.

He climbed into the bed and forcibly put the collar on. She fought angrily, swiping at him and biting him, drawing blood on his arm and chest. He persevered, however, ignoring his own pain to clasp the collar on her and held it there, staring her down.

"Faustine. Listen to me."

She was wiggling angrily, hissing and spitting. It was a side of her he'd never seen, feral and violent, full of pain and anguish, consumed by it all.

"Please!" She was pinned down by him, flat on her back as he looked down at her, tears falling.

His tears were cool, as they splashed lightly on her face as she stilled suddenly.

"Please.. Forgive me," His voice was small, hoarse in pain. "I.. I'm so sorry for what I said. The moment I did, I regretted it. I'm so sorry that I made you feel like this. I don't want you to feel like this at all.. I… want…"

She flushed when he licked at her nose before eyes widening when he kissed her softly, lips pressing against her. She found herself looking into beautiful, dark green eyes, still glittering with tears, a view so close she could make out all the wonderful details.

She pushed up slowly to find herself sort of wrapped around him in how they were resting. She flushed as she tried to talk. He nipped at her chin lightly.

"What.. What made you change your mind?" She asked, weakly. "Why.. .you don't have to because you're obligated or that you don't want to hurt my feelings…"

"It's not an obligation and while I don't want to hurt your feelings, I also…" He struggled to explain. "A long time ago, I had a family. A big one, with many children, sisters and brothers, uncles and aunts, and just so many of us."

"Including my first mate," He added softly, eyes turning pained. "Fearlings took everyone of them but me and left me to be destroyed by my loss of hope."

Bunny's ears fell down. "I swore then and there never to never have any of that again, to protect myself, to not lose anything. I trained to be a fighter, to defend myself because I had failed in all the others."

"And then, you came along. There was always something in the back of my mind, something that seemed familiar and yet brand new. Something I've refused to acknowledge."

"I do care about you, more than I've let on. I could smell it on you, a touch of magic and wonder and hope, so much hope. It drew me to you and I hid myself because I fought and fought not to believe what I was feeling."

He pulled her to the window, the night sky having risen. The moon was full and bright as he pointed. "Manny spoke to me, told me that to have hope is to let go of the past and let the hope of the future happen."

"Really?" Her eyes grew huge as she looked up. The Man in the Moon did not talk to her but left her with the feelings of acceptance of who and what she was.

Bunny looked curious. "What'd he say?"

"Nothing in words but I think he likes me," She was finally smiling.

He wrapped an arm around her. "Come back in."

He thumped a leg on the bed. "Is this really what you sleep in?"

"What do you sleep in?"

"Nothing. Maybe a patch of grass but I can sleep anywhere."

"So you can sleep here!" She bounded up but only made it halfway there, her claws stuck in the sides. "I don't have my strength."

He bent down and hefted her into the bed, sprawling her into the blankets with her butt in the air. He stared at her tail with some interest before climbing in limberly. He felt a little regretful when she corrected herself and sat on her haunches.

"Soo.. Where do we go from here? I'm not going to force you into anything but just so you know, if we're together, I will make sure that no one will ever touch you without me killing them."

She paused. "Oh, and I mate for life so you'd be stuck with me."

"Really?" He thought on it long enough to make her frantic.

"Stop thinking so hard! You don't have to decide now! Just so you know that you have options."

"Really, to someone who can't take a no?"

"I can too!"

"Really?"

She glowered at him. "No."

"See?"

"Oh, shut up!" She pushed at him and slipped on the bedding, falling next to him as her butt was up in the air again.

"I can't really think when you keep doing that," Bunny told her huskily, wrapping himself around her from the side.

She nuzzled against him before licking his chin. "You… need a bath."

"I am clean enough."

"You taste like dirt."

"I live in dirt!"

"Not in my home, you don't!"

He pinned her and tickled her as she burst out laughing.

"All right, all right! You win!" She gasped as he pulled her against him again.

There was a long pause. "Can I ask about your visit?"

"No. I'm never talking to my family again! My mother hates me!"

"I'm sure she doesn't. She's just… very traditional."

"She'd eat you if she could."

"Like to see her try," Bunny muttered darkly.

"E."

"What?"

"That's what I'm going to call you! E."

"E?"

"For Easter."

"Are you sure it's not for my name? It -is- E. Aster Bunnymund."

"Fancy but no. For Easter."

He snickered as he rolled to his back, her head on his chest. His hand rubbed her back as she rest on her front against him.

"Good night," Faustine said sleepily. "I love you."

She yawned and fell asleep in moments.

Bunny looked at her before smiling softly. "Love you too."


	9. Lucky Rabbit Interlude: Warning

Rise of the Guardians

Interlude

Warning: The following chapter contains adult situations. Please read at your own discretion!


	10. Lucky Rabbit Chapter Nine: Lucky Cat

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Nine: Lucky Cat

Faustine rolled and felt warmth wrap around her waist. His paw was bigger than hers and with leaner fingers. She studied his hand out of interest before trying to see if he had claws. She squeezed the fingers, trying to make the nails retract out.

"Come on.." She grumbled.

"I have small claws. Why do you think I use boomerangs for a weapon?" Bunny asked from behind.

"Because you're Australian?"

"Well, that too."

She peeked out of the bed, the night sky still visible. "It's… midnight."

She wiggled out of his grip and out of bed to look out at the stars.

"Don't start howling," Bunny poked only his head out of the bed, refusing to come out.

Faustine had felt the song about to come and flopped onto the ground in disappointment. "It's the perfect night!"

"Get back in here!"

She jumped back into the bed as she started to knead. She smelled it then. "Are you bleeding?"

"I was earlier," Bunny responded.

Her ears fell to the sides of her head. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She went to his arm, sniffing and easily picking out the wound. She licked at it, thoughtfully cleaning it. She traveled to his chest where she winced at the slightly deep gouge. "No wonder my fingers hurt!"

She kept cleaning him thoughtfully until it dawned on him.

"Stop giving me a bath!"

She ignored him and pushed his hand away that was trying to push her away.

"I don't need a.." He burst out laughing, ticklish on the belly. "Stop! Stop!"

She found herself flipped forward and pinned to the ground. "There!" He said breathlessly.

She wiggled and found him pushed against her. He wasn't really trying to stop her wiggling. It took a rather long minute before she finally asked. "Are you just letting me wiggle because you want me to?"

"Maybe."

She stretched, claws in the blanket as she nimbly pulled away from his grasp. She licked at her shoulder, peering over it to look at him coyly.

She then turned and head butted against him, purring. She rubbed hard before trying to move around him.

"You take up too much space," Came her complaint. "I can't rub!"

"Oh, you're rubbing me fine," Bunny plucked her by the scruff and put her in his lap. Her legs flexed on the outer sides of his own legs. She looked behind her as she was carefully pulled forward to rest a bit harder on his front.

"Umm.. What'cha doing?"

"I have no idea. You're not a rabbit so I'm a bit at a loss of what to do."

"To do what?"

He stared at her. "Seriously?" His eyebrow twitched. "To.. Ahem… to.. You know.."

"Mate?" She asked, perking up. "You will?! You don't need more time? Are you sure?"

"Very sure," Bunny placed his forehead against hers. He kissed her gently before his hands were grasping her face lightly, using his sharp teeth to little small marks. She tried to do the same but her teeth wasn't much defense on his tougher skin.

"You're supposed to be bitable!" She protested as he snickered at her. "That's not fair!"

He kissed her to shush her, both lost in the moment as they fell into the ways of nature. She found herself on her back, fingers playing on her skin as she giggled at random times from his light touch.

"Huh…"

"What?" She peeked over her fluffed bosom to see him at her navel level.

"Twelve."

"Twelve what?"

"Nipples," He smirked. "How big are your litters, kit?"

"Umm…" She lost her train of thought from his questing fingers. "I.. I can't think when you're touching me there.."

"Uh huh.." He ran his hands down her thighs, down to her ankles. "Even your feet are small!"

"Yes, well," Her voice squeaked at the hands breezing up her inner leg, up her thighs to press on her heat. "Oh…"

He climbed upward, licking at her nose. "So, do this in a natural pose or from the front?"

"You can do that?" She asked in a hushed voice.

"Your mother didn't teach you anything, did she?"

"I know things! Kind of…I wasn't really listening, I sort of kept my fingers in my ears.."

A curved finger found her heat again. "Oh, okay…" She flushed and furiously nibbled on his chin.

She was soon wiggling, excited by his touching. "E.." She moved with instinct, rolling to her front and arching her back with a soft yowl.

He groaned and climbed on top, moving fluidly. They met and bound as she cried out in both pain and surprise.

She then quickly pushed backwards. "E… oh, god.. Move, please."

He responded by linking his hands onto hers. He obediently moved and closed his eyes tightly at the sudden wealth of emotion. He tried to lock out everything but the feeling of moving but then the bell on her collar began to chime and he couldn't stop himself from moving harder.

"Kit.." His grip tightened, his voice hoarse. "Oh, god, Kit.."

The louder the bell rang, the more he moved, both of their voices rising until there was a flood between them, his teeth sunk into her shoulder as he filled her.

Her forehead fell to the bed, her body trembling. She felt something happen just as they'd climaxed but she wasn't sure what it was exactly. All she knew was that it was linked to instinct.

She was pulled to rest on her side, Bunny still holding her and keeping as close as possible to her. It was a few minutes before she began to wiggle purposely. Bunny groaned.

"Don't tease," He begged into her hair.

She flipped and climbed onto him, making his eyes cross. "I wasn't going to," She purred loudly, moving slowly.

Hands grasped her hips as she felt that same feeling, deep within her. She relaxed and moved with him, his hips jutting upward as she arched. Once more, he marveled at what she could do with her body, such a contortion. He pushed himself into a sitting position, biting her chest. Fingers played on her nipples, a thought making him rear with an abundance of excitement. He pushed and she fell back as he began to move with clear intent.

She cried out as he moved fast and hard, not letting up as he brought both to climax. His forehead pressed as he seemed to be searching for something deep with her.

"E… What.. What are you doing?"

"You'll see," He promised cryptically before flooding into her once more. He did this many times until both fell into deep sleep, still locked together.

She awoke first, starving and energized. She felt something different but as she remembered the night before, she tossed it to that new change between the two.

She let Bunny sleep as she slid out and went to her kitchen downstairs. She made him a salad, as it was the only thing she could make him and eyed the carrots with new interest.

She took a bite and chewed. It tasted better and she didn't know why. She finished off the carrot and then proceeded to make her own meal by cooking some chicken mixed with herbs and spices for the pallet.

She could hear him sniffing furiously as he poked his head in. "You made me breakfast?"

"Yep," She stole another carrot and munched on it. "Dad must've got these from a really good patch."

"Cats don't eat carrots."

"I am versatile." She was stir frying the chicken. "Maybe I should've just ate it raw."

She eyed him. "But you don't like that."

"No, I don't. But it's fine for you," He was eating his food as her hand snuck out and stole another piece carrot. He smiled at an inner joke before she finished cooking her meal.

She ate it all hungrily, realizing she once again missed a meal or two in her distressed time. She licked at her paws, grooming herself.

"You're so cute when you do that."

She eyed Bunny. "Oh! The troll!"

"What about the troll?" Bunny frowned.

"He talks!"

"He.. talks? Really?" This had his attention.

"He called himself Hedge. That he and his were hungry and many and we were weak." Her ears went back. "I'll show you weak!"

"You can't fight."

"I can too! Look what I did to your skin."

Bunny laughed loudly. "Yes, cuts and scratches will be sure to deter the trolls."

She turned red.

"And it certainly didn't deter me," He added impishly.

She looked down and to the side, nose twitching as she turned shy.

She shrieked when he flicked her bell. Her hand grasped his hand, holding the bell as both locked eyes. "Feel that?" She asked weakly.

"What.. Is that?"

"That is… powerful, very powerful luck! Wow! I've never felt so much!" She made her bell ring. She turned to look outside, the entire area that of a fully-formed, beautifully made home. The front, back, and sides of the lawn were not only wonderfully groomed but fashioned in a very welcoming fashion with benches, trees, patches of clover and trees a many as her eyes grew huge.

"But.. There's more!" She touched the bell. "Something.. Within me, I think. It's so warm and loving." Her eyes grew big upon her face as she gazed up at him with worshipping eyes.

"It's going to take a while to get used to that stare. Go back to being flirty."

She elbowed him as she walked back inside with a stiff back, her bobtail waving with the swish of her hips.

"That's cheating!"

"No, this is cheating," She bent down at the waist, exposing herself as he made a strangled noise. "Aww, is the lil' bunnie wunnie…" She tore off as she felt the wind of his swipe.

"Can't catch me!" She shouted, bounding literally off the walls. He ran hard, bouncing off the same walls as she dove upstairs. She dug herself into the blankets, laughing wildly when he joined her underneath the blankets.

She squealed as he moved fast and hard, climbing onto her with gusto. She moaned and cried out alternatively before relaxing as he slowed down, excitement lessening.

They rested for a while before she brought back the subject. "Have you ever dealt with trolls?"

"Not really. I remember very little of them," Bunny rubbed her shoulder gently.

"Has anyone dealt with them?"

"Sandy might've. He's the oldest of us."

"Mmmm…" She was softly purring. "So, where do we go from here?"

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm still full of energy. Wanna romp?" He grinned at her, eyes glittering.

"Can I hunt you?"

"You can't hunt what you can't catch."

There was a long pause before the blankets flew up into the air as Bunny bounded out of the room, sliding down the banister, and flew out the door. He ran on all fours, chased by the exuberant feline.

"I'm so going to catch you!" She shouted, laughing. "You may be fast but I'm lighter and trickier! I've caught a lot of things!"

She followed him through the hole where they bounded into his warren. The Warrior eggs watched with a quizzical feeling as laughter filled the air and the two played for the rest of the day.


	11. Lucky Rabbit Chapter Ten: Lucky Surprise

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Ten: Lucky Surprise

Jack was watching the sun rise up in the air, the summer heat in full swing as he glared at the skies. Despite it being closer to fall, summer had yet to give up.

"I should just leave! But no, I'm stuck here," The Guardian of Fun crossed his arms with a huff. "I said I'd protect the children so these trolls are just going to have to deal with me!"

He jumped nimbly, caught by the wind as he flew upward and breezed on by to land close to his pond. He tapped at the ground with a frown. He'd been trying to get to Bunny's Warren but Bunny wasn't responding to his requests.

"Come on, man! What's so important that you're ignoring me?"

Deep in the warren, Bunny was quietly working on the paints. His eggs were growing normally and he could soon start to harvest. He hummed as he crafted his paints before looking up, feeling something down his spine.

"Jack." Distracted as he continued his work, he thumped his foot and there was a thud close by.

"Gee, thanks so much, Bunny. That was awesome." Jack rubbed his pants. "At least it's so much cooler in here."

"Well, it's spring."

"Been busy, I see. I've been wanting to round you and Faustine up on the trolls. I've made traps for them all around the towns and some of them seem to be dissuaded. But I didn't realize it but they're not full-blown idiots."

"I know, Faustine told me."

"And you didn't want to talk to me or North about it?"

"I was going to but I'm a little busy."

"Easter's not until seven months."

"Almost six," Bunny corrected him. "And no, that's not it at all."

"Six months? Darn, when it's summer, I lose track of time. It's so frustrating! I want to have fun but I can't! And if I leave for the winters elsewhere, I risk trouble for the kids."

Jack frowned suddenly. "Wait, what do you mean by 'that's not it at all'?"

"I can't say it yet."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Where is Faustine?"

"She's sunbathing."

Sure enough, Faustine was sprawled out on her back, all four limbs stretched out as she snoozed in the sun without so much a care in the world.

"I wish I could sleep like that," Jack said wistfully. "So much as without a care… is she fatter?"'

"SHHHH!" Bunny's ears went back. "Don't call her that or she gets really upset."

"Why? What have you been feeding her?"

"She's been eating a lot of carrots lately. Even some snap peas too."

"Why?" Jack asked pointedly.

Bunny tugged him back. "Look, mate, it's like this…"

There came a large beacon of light as Faustine's parents landed in the Warren.

"How the hell did they get in here?" Bunny got very fidgety. "Faustine's going to claw her mother's eyes out."

"That doesn't explain.."

"Faustine? It's Mommy and Daddy," Anabella sat under the rock, looking up. "Let's talk."

"Err…" She growled as she dropped down and turned, arms crossed.

She watched her mother's ears go back as her father's eyes widened and one ear fell to the side.

"What?" She asked crossly.

"No, no, no, don't tell her, let find out on her…" Bunny begged.

"YOU'RE PREGNANT!?"

Faustine stared at her mother, incredulously. "I only gained a little weight."

"In how much time?!"

"Um…. Two weeks?" Faustine gave a tiny smile. It then faded quickly. "Wait.. Was this what you were trying to hint at, E? How'd it happen!?"

Her mother smacked her face, angry beyond a doubt. "You never, ever listen to me!"

"Ana," Erik said very softly.

"First you go off your rocker and then, this?! You.. You actually mated with this.. This… RABBIT?!"

"I really love the way you say that," Bunny muttered darkly.

"You are coming home and we are going to deal with this," Her mother gestured at her daughter.

Erik was watching Anabella with slit eyes.

"I am not going anywhere! I love him! He's my soul mate! I won him, fair and square.." She looked at him, suddenly skeptical. "Right?"

"No, I just wanted to breed with you."

He waited as her eyes went big.

"Kit. I'm joking!"

"Oh, okay. Phew…"

Jack was snickering behind Bunny.

"Do you know what you're going to have? Bunnies.." Her mother's voice dragged out the last word in terror. "You are a cat! What if you eat them?"

"MOTHER! I would never do that! I happen to have a more open mind and am obviously more accepting of other kinds! You've never liked anyone else but the cats!"

She faltered. "Am I really pregnant?" She patted her belly. "How can I be sure?"

"Have any cravings?" Bunny asked, running his hand through his hair on his scalp.

"Yea! Carrots!"

"Gotten a little bit bigger in a fast time?" He asked next.

"Uh huh."

"You going to listen next time when someone explains to you how this all works?"

"No."

He smirked at her. "Cute."

She then bounded on her heels, giddy. "I'm going to be a mommy!" She started to prance on all fours, hopping like a frenzied kitten. "I'm going to have babies! Babies!"

Her mother's teeth gritted as she turned to Bunny. "You… bunny! How could you? Do you know what you are to us? FOOD!"

"I'm not food, Mrs. Bobtail. I'm the Easter Bunny," Bunny warned her. "A Guardian. I protect all that is hope and your daughter just happens to have a lot of it."

Faustine was now dancing between the Warrior eggs.

Jack scratched his head. "How does she get them to dance with her?"

"She just has a way with the eggs. The small ones all gather around her when she tries to paint. I think it's all the effort and planning she puts into it."

"Faustine! Faustine, please! See the reasoning in this," Anabella tried to get her daughter's attention. "Look, why don't we go home and just take it easy? When you've had them, you can just give them to him and forget…"

Faustine stilled automatically. "Mom. I think you know what happens when we mate. It's for life, no if ands or buts! I would never leave him."

"Then you have a choice. Either stay with your kind or be rejected!" Her mother hissed.

"Anabella!" Erik cried out.

Faustine's ears fell to the side. "Why are you so against this?"

"Because it's unnatural! It's not done!" Anabella pointed to her. "You've rejected everything feline about you! Mating with a rabbit? Eating carrots? Having BUNNIES?" Anabella lifted her head. "It's us or him, Faustine."

Erik reached for his mate who shook him off with a growl. "Your family or him."

Faustine looked to Bunny and he felt a sudden fear of losing everything all over again. His gaze was uncertain, worried, and frightened, all in a single moment before Faustine lifted her head and turned to her mother.

"Fine. I pick E."

Anabella broke into a hiss, of anger and pain. "Faustine!"

"He's my family… No," She rubbed her belly. "Our family."

Anabella straightened harshly. "Fine then." She turned and made a portal, disappearing into it.

"Daddy.. You're not mad at me, are you?" Faustine went to him, ears to the side and looking sad.

"No, love. I'm never mad at you. Your mother, on the other hand, is driving me insane. I'll try to repair what I can but in the end, she needs to come around and I just don't know what that'll take."

She nuzzled him affectionately.

"You better keep an eye on her. It's her first litter and she's bound to do a mistake. She needs guidance and I understand you've had experience." Erik lowered his head lightly, making sure that Bunny understood that wasn't a jab at his past but an acknowledgement of his actual experiences.

"I will be fine!" Faustine protested.

"I'm sure you will. You have Mr. Bunny to be sure you'll be all right." He patted his daughter on the head. "Take care, all right? No rough housing or frantic bouts. You need to stay calm and quiet."

"I am calm and quiet!"

"Sure, not excitable at all," He grinned and then left with a wave.

"So I guess this was what you meant by 'that's not it at all', huh?"

Faustine had walked to Bunny's side and tugged him a little helplessly. "We are family, right?"

"Of course he is!" Jack shoved Bunny forward before Bunny could comfort the feline. "See?"

"Jack.." Bunny glared at him, arms wrapped around Faustine lightly.

"So I guess this takes you off troll patrol. Got to worry about the coming Easter and babies! When will they be due?"

"Umm.." Faustine thought on it. " Six weeks? Maybe seven?"

Jack was skeptical. "Umm.. That's pretty quick."

"Oh, it is! But see, how it all happens is I carry for about sixty-five days, give birth, and nurture the children for around eight weeks while they age up to… umm… " She waved a hand. "I know this… right! Aged between four and five."

"Really?" Jack asked with a slight tilt of his head.

"Yep! Then the aging slows down drastically and I get to keep my babies forever!"

"You can't keep them forever. Your mo… parents didn't do that."

"I beg to differ. Mom protested the whole entire time that I was gone. That I left! I was ready to leave! She thinks she knows better but…" She ended on a fierce growl.

She then perked up. "I get to nest!" She then began to hop around with joy. "Oh, I know what to use! But I want the babies here! Where it's more comfortable!"

Faustine gave big, soulful eyes to Bunny who looked to Jack, unsure of this new notion. "Yes?"

"Can you go get the bed?" She clasped her paws, fluffed up her chest, and beamed at him. "Pretty please?"

"The.. Cat bed?" Bunny bent down to scratch behind his ear.

"Yes! It's big and comfy and with your scent all over it.." She continued to talk as Bunny flushed and glanced at Jack who was smirking at him.

"Shut up."

"Want help?" Jack offered.

"We'll need more help," Bunny muttered. "Let's go see if North can help."

Bunny found more than North to help but Sandy as well. The four of them went to Faustine's home in a quick jump.

"Wow, this place is huge!" Jack eyed the house. "Why is it a cat scratcher?"

Bunny shrugged.

The four struggled to carry the cat bed. It was heavier than expected, fluffy and well-cushioned.

Jack gritted his teeth. "I'd think it'd be better if Sandy wasn't pretending to carry his end!"

Sandy was walking under the bed, all the taller people holding it just out of his reach. He waved his arms pointedly with a droll look.

"I'm not dropping it any lower," Jack hissed.

"Is easy if we put in my bag!" North suggested.

"Really want to shove it all that way in there and then drag it back out?" Bunny muttered, carrying the girth of the bed. "North, come on, help!"

It took some time before they arrived in his warren. Faustine pranced around them, directing them of where to put it.

"No, too much shade. No, too much sun. No, not enough grass. No, not there, I want E to be able to climb in too!"

Finally, the bed was just right for Faustine as she bounded into. She sniffed, rubbed her face to spread her scent as she began to knead.

"It's amazing how feline she is when she's bipedal and intelligent." Jack was amazed.

"We sure she's smart?" North asked as Bunny glared at him. "Is just a question!"

"She's not stupid. She's very instinctive."

"So was it like rabbits?" Jack asked mischievously. "I've read books about your breed, you know."

"Really? It wasn't like rabbits, mate. It's a feline thing."

"What is?" North whispered loudly to Jack who blinked and shrugged when he couldn't think of the answer.

Sandy's thoughts flew over his head before Jack waved at him. "Slow down! How many times do I have to tell you? I don't understand!"

"Read up on it," Bunny suggested. Jack glared at him as he bent to Sandy.

Sandy thought on it and then proceeded to show an egg, then it becoming a basket of kittens.

"I know that part!" Jack scoffed.

"Oh, you're so silly!" Faustine bounded down and poked at Sandy. "It's a feline thing! When we mate, we often will conceive at the first try."

"And you didn't realize it?"

"Well, it is my first litter!"

"Sooo.. I still don't get it."

"Female cats can put themselves into heat right when they mate."

Jack sighed. "Yea. I was right. I didn't want to really know."

"Then why'd you ask?!" Faustine protested.

"Is gaining a little weight there, kitty," North said with a big grin. "Have a big litter?"

Her ears went back. "Did you just call me fat?"

Bunny poked his head out. "North. One suggestion. Run."

"Run?" North stumbled just out of reach from the swiping claws. "Down, kitty! Down!"

He ran off, disappearing with a shout. "I am sorry!"


	12. Lucky Rabbit Chapter Eleven: Lucky Wait

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Eleven: Lucky Wait

It was two more weeks into the pregnancy. She was already showing, even more so, and she was feeling very self-conscious about it.

Bunny waited outside of the cat scratcher, waiting a little impatiently. He was told she'd be right out and that was about a half hour ago.

"Kit!" He shouted, still standing outside.

"I'm coming.." She hedged at the top of the stairs. She slowly made her way outside, keeping her eyes on the ground as she finally left the home.

He goggled at her and the make-shift dress she'd made. "Faustine. Take that off! You have fur for a reason!"

She winced and slowly undid. "I'm so fat."

"You're with child… children," Bunny corrected. He rubbed her belly. "What'd you expect?"

"I don't know but what if I don't lose the weight afterwards?" She ended on a wail. He covered his ears at the shrill howl.

"You will be fine," Bunny reiterated gently. "I promise."

Her eyes were huge. "Still love me, right?"

Bunny pulled her tightly to him. "Of course." He smiled as she rested on him with a sigh.

"All right, let's get back." He watched her tap her bell and they left the Cat Haven.

She found herself nesting in her cat bed before she fell asleep, already worn out.

Bunny watched her for a moment before leaving the Warren. He found Jack watching the night sky about to rise.

"Waiting for Sandy?"

"Yea.. It's too bad that he's so busy. I bet he could be of some help. Try to see the dreams of the trolls or something. See where they're coming from, what they really want.."

"I think they've made it pretty obvious. They want to hunt humans. From what North's read in his library, that's what they used to do. But they were stupider then and easier to deal with. That's how they were tricked into their own realm."

Jack sighed with Bunny.

"So how'd they get smarter?" Jack asked next.

"Evolution?"

"Good idea," Jack mused on it. "Or something else?"

"No, I think they've just gotten smarter. You know how humans started, cavemen to technological."

"Yea, but that took millions of years."

"I'm sure it's not that long."

"Just about," Jack protested.

"Mate, don't piss me off."

"We're having an conversation," Jack said pointedly.

He then switched topics. "Can you tell how many bunnies and or kittens you're going to have?"

"Not a clue."

"So you're all going for the surprise?"

"We don't have ultrasounds!"

"Always can go into a hospital. Just hang around adults, they won't notice you at all."

Rabbit glared at Jack as Jack grinned at him.

"You're an idiot," Bunny started to walk off.

"Do you think I can hang out with North for a while? I'm really missing winter," Jack jumped and balanced on his staff, having landed in front of Bunny.

"I don't see why not." Bunny walked around him.

"And you're not worried about the trolls?"

"We've been keeping a vigilance. North's got the best views so he'll know the first sign of trouble."

"Great! Keep me updated on the babies, won't you?" Jack grinned and then jumped up high to catch a wind where he disappeared as he flew off.

Bunny returned to the Warren and could smell Faustine. He found her plucking grass and flowers with a concentrated look.

"Faustine, what are you doing?" Bunny asked warily.

"I'm making my nest," She turned away, bent over as her buttocks waved in front of him. He closed his eyes and sought control.

"I wasn't aware that cats nest."

"No, but bunnies do," Faustine answered. "I seem to have some of those qualities, like eating carrots.. By the way, do you have any?" She perked up as she looked up at him, having spun on her heel to do so.

"There are plenty left," Bunny said soothingly. "Don't you think you should eat something a little more substantial? You are carrying a few and we want to be sure that they're born strong."

Her ears went back. "You don't think I'm doing it right?"

"What, no! It's just that you need to eat more…"

"I can't hunt!"

He sighed. "I can get you chicken."

"But I don't want chicken!" She turned green.

"All right, what do you want?"

"Umm….carrot cake!"

He groaned. "Faustine, something else! You need meat!" He paused at that. "Never thought I'd say that."

"Fine. I want a bird."

"Chicken it is."

"No, I want a bird! I don't want a chicken! I want of those tiny, adorable, little morsel of sweetness and crunch, you know, the colorful one that's all red and with a white chest?"

"How am I going to get you that?"

"Well, if you'd let me hunt, I could get it!"

"I just don't want you too far from the Warren or Cat Haven."

"You're being overprotective!"

"Of course I am! Nothing's going to ever happen to you or our children! Ever!" Bunny said, unbelievably fierce and stern, standing over her with raised shoulders.

Her ears went to the side. "Oh, okay." She turned and bounded off with the scent of fear hitting his nose as she disappeared from sight.

"Ah, crikey, mate. I think I pushed it." Bunny sat down and tried to figure out how to apologize. He gritted his teeth and disappeared into one of his rabbit holes.

He found Faustine later, wrapped in the blankets. She was asleep as he carefully dropped the bird close to her.

Her nose trembled as she woke up quickly. "Bird!" She took it in her hands, about to take a big bite. "Wait.. It's not a dream?"

She looked around wildly, not seeing any sign of Bunny. He'd duck under the cat bed, putting his fingers in his ears as he hummed tunelessly.

"E?" She tapped his head, holding the dead bird behind her. "I thought…"

"I'm sorry. I made you afraid."

"It's not often I see you so intense," Faustine admitted.

He straightened up and pushed his forehead against her, eyes closed tightly. When they opened, the green had darkened as they glimmered brightly. "I just… don't want to lose you. You still don't know how to defend yourself and I want to teach you but you're in no state to do so and I have to keep you close or else I will go crazy."

"I'll be fine," Faustine promised. Her stomach grumbled. "Can I eat now?"

"Wait a moment," He bounded off, disappearing into the distance. He still heard the loud crunch, it was something he always managed to hear, no matter where he was. He mused that he was probably just overly sensitive to the sound of a cat eating.

"Stupid old rabbit fears. I'm six feet tall!"

He spent a great deal of time having to comfort Faustine. While it didn't bring him back to his old days with his first mate, it did remind him of out of it he was, not to mention he questioned everything that he did because half the time, he felt he was doing it all wrong.

The weeks dragged on. Faustine grew bigger, hungrier, and slept a lot more. She always sought some way of contact with Bunny, keeping to his side in her sleep and yet during her awake time, would ignore him.

Bunny visited the others, even the tooth fairy who was excited about the babies. "Oh, I get to collect their teeth!" Tooth had beamed happily as Bunny made a weak smile and then hurried off.

Then came the day that Bunny was literally booted out of his own Warren. He went to visit North who was having a heated conversation, or rather, one-sided argument, with Phil. Bunny had to intercede and it took a long time for there to be understanding.

Bunny made it back to Jack's pond, drained. "Geez, mate, you'd think there'd be some harmony between North and his Yetis."

"What happened?" Jack was resting up in a tree, his leg dangling lazily.

"I still don't understand it, something about the making of the presents. Christmas is getting closer but sometimes North is just too childish for the yetis, who do all the work."

"Yea. How come you're away from the warren?" Jack asked next, swinging down. "You never want to leave your warren."

"Ah, mate, it was either that or get my head bitten clean off."

"Geez, what'd you do to piss her off?"

"Nothing!" Bunny protested loudly. "Besides, I've only been gone since.." He suddenly realized the time. "For nearly ten hours!"

He thumped a leg and disappeared, though Jack nosedived and followed him.

Bunny bounded hard toward the cat bed. "Faustine! I'm sorry I've been.."

"STOP!" She shouted, though she didn't pop her head out like she usually would. "Just, be quiet and calm for me. I need all the concentration in the world right now."

"Why?" Bunny heard it then, little squeaks. He took a wondering step forward and froze at the vicious growl that came from Faustine.

"Don't. You. Dare." She warned him softly, still out of view. "I'll let you know when I'm finished."

"You don't want help?"

"I've managed four so far, I think I can manage more."

"Four?" Bunny's eyes grew big. "I want to see.."

She hissed, sensing his footstep forward.

Bunny dropped to his haunches. "I'll just stay here."

Jack was inching forward slowly, hoping for a look before Bunny dragged him down. The two stepped away to give Faustine privacy.

"So.. Despite being humanoid, she gives birth like an actual cat?"

"My kind did the same," Bunny was fretting.

"You know, I bet North would be happy to be here," Jack offered.

"Are you kidding? He doesn't know how to be quiet!"

"SSHHHHHH!"

Bunny winced and lowered his voice from his mate's hiss.

Bunny sat down to wait while Jack disappeared. Despite's Bunny retort, Jack came back with North as well as Sandy.

His ears went back as he glared in silence.

"What gives? We wait?" North whispered. Both Jack and Sandy, though who knows how Sandy did it, yelled at him to keep quiet or else he couldn't stay.

Eventually, Bunny paced, partially hopping as he chewed on his lip. He pulled his ear to his face and nipped on that, the thoughts and feelings rolling through him. It'd been so long that he had forgotten so much and now suddenly, he wondered if he really knew what he was doing.

"Augh, I can't take it anymore!" Bunny bounded to the cat bed. "Kit, please! Let me know how it's going!"

Her voice was sleepy. "I'm sorry, E. I tried calling.." Her voice was faint. "I'm done."

"Can I come up?"

"Of course, they need your scent."

Bunny jumped up with a light step and looked at the wiggling pile against Faustine. Some of them were feasting already while others slept.

He did a quick headcount. "Five!"

"Not bad for a first litter," Faustine could barely open her eyes. "Three girls and two boys."

The coloring on all of them were dilute and wouldn't fully be until they grew older. But even then, he could tell who was going to look like who.

Faustine spoke with a wide yawn. "First one was that one," Her foot carefully poked at a kitten. "Boy, and with all of your markings. That was the second next to him, another boy. He's got a lot more white on him. Then came these two," Her paw twitched at the sleeping due of bunnies. "Chocolate and fur, girl, she was third, then her sister, who looks just like me," Faustine had a little pride in that. "Came. And last but not least, the last one. A girl, also looks like you."

Bunny circled Faustine, sniffing excitedly at the babies. All of them were rather small but would grow quickly and strongly. He head butted against Faustine, licking her nose with affection. He settled across from her, to watch both her and the babies. The two boys were eating heartedly as the three girls were wrapped around each other.

"Good, no one's getting eaten," North whispered loudly. Bunny looked up to see the three looking in with big eyes.

"Of course not, I had something to eat." Faustine glanced at them. "Don't you dare come closer or else I'll rip your eyes out."

"What did you eat?" Jack asked with a frown.

"I had to clean them. They weren't exactly born like this."

"You.. You ate the placentas?" Jack turned green.

"I'm a cat!" Faustine closed her eyes with a yawn. "I'm so tired.. It's been like fourteen hours."

"Oh, this is so exciting! Why aren't their eyes open?" North asked finally.

"Their ears and eyes won't open until seven to ten days from now," Faustine curled a little around them. "E, I need to sleep. Please get them to leave."

Bunny shooed them all out and then carefully returned to the bed, settling in against Faustine as he held her as she fell into a deep sleep. Lured to sleep by the soft sounds of the infants, both of them rested for the long night.


	13. Lucky Rabbit Chapter Twelve: Lucky Times

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Twelve: Lucky Times

Faustine was very diligent in her new role as a mother. She cleaned, ate some sustenance for producing milk, fed, and again cleaned her five babies. She gave her littlest one a little more attention, who didn't fight as much for food nor act like the kitten that he looked like.

"Names.. Names…" Faustine thought on it. "How about Thump and Hop for our bunnies?"

"Thump and Hop?"

"Yea. I LOVE that about you! And I will love them all the more!"

"Because I go thump and hop?"

"You hop when you want something and thump when you're fierce."

Bunny grinned. "All right, that'll be good."

Faustine licked the chocolate and gold bunny. "You will be Thump. Thump!" Thump squirmed under the attention of her mother's tongue, eyes barely open. She had the same bright blue eyes of her mother and the cute little nose too.

"And you, my mini-me! Will be Hop! Hop!"

Hop rolled over and rested against her mother, oblivious to her naming. She moved her leg, thwacking Thump in the face as the little bunny tried to bite.

"No! You do not bite your sister!" Faustine pushed the two apart. "No fighting!"

She then heard it, growls and rolling sounds as Bunny gave her a droll look. "No fighting, huh?"

Faustine glared at the two kittens rolling at each other, trying to fight but not quite managing the movement. It was the first born, a boy, versus the last born, a girl. They shared all the markings of their father, including the green eyes.

"You will be Axel. Axel! Stop biting!"

Bunny was snickering behind her. "And.. You will be…" She glared at the two kittens, ignoring their mother. "Bunny!"

"She will be Princessa," Bunny said affectionately. "She acts just like a Princess. And a Warrior too!" He beamed with pride. "Don't let your brother get the best of you!"

Faustine pulled the two apart with a glare to Bunny. "Don't antagonize!"

The two turned their attention to their last one. He was just sitting there, looking up at Bunny with big eyes. His eyes were more open than the others and far more expressive.

"He's so cute!" Faustine plucked him up, making him meow in surprise. He wiggled and actually reached for Bunny. "Awww, he's got a favorite parent.. Wait, why isn't it me?"

Bunny took his smallest son into his arms. "He's very docile. Aren't you, honey?"

"How come you don't call me honey?"

"I call you Kit. Vastly different." Bunny made faces. "What about him?"

"He's pretty close to you. How about Hitch?"

"Where do you get your naming?" Bunny asked with a raised eyebrow.

"From my head."

"Apparently so. All right, Hitch, I'm Papa… or Dada.. Daddy.. Dad, Pops, Poppa. You know, whatever you want to call me."

Hitch pushed his head against his father's chin, purring.

"He's adorable!"

Bunny was greeted by whimpers, all of them looking at him with big eyes, including Faustine.

"Oh, for the love of… you're all adorable!"

It would only take about eight weeks for the children to reach their toddler stage. Bunny watched and marveled at the growth of all of their children and the way Faustine fell so naturally as a mother.

However, there was a clear favorite of parents. When around and not busy, Bunny was routinely ambushed. He scuffled, rolled, stroked, tossed in the air, he did pretty much anything that they asked of him.

When Faustine started to feed the children more appropriate food, she had Bunny deal with the bunnies and she dealt with the kittens. She hunted for them and gave them the dead fish or bird she had caught and would watch them and help them out. However, each and every time, Hitch would sniff it, put his ears back and refuse to eat. Faustine tried to bring a live animal to the dinner table, of which Princessa and Axel tore to pieces.

But she couldn't get Hitch to eat the meat. She had him nurse but she was drying up and she was getting frantic.

She happened upon Bunny about to eat his large salad one night. "I need help."

"Sure, Kit." Bunny set the plate aside behind him as he focused his attention on Faustine.

"I can't get Hitch to eat. I've caught him live food, brought him dead food, all sorts of creatures, you know, for a cat to enjoy. But he won't eat anything but milk! I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong!"

"I'm sure there's some sort of reason." Bunny tried to think. "Being a vegetarian, I can't say that I know anything about meat or what your kind or those who eat like. Was it really fresh?"

"Of course! You know how well I can hunt!"

Bunny thought on it. "I can't think of anything… let me eat something and think a little bit longer on.." He turned to see the plate gone.

"Where'd my dinner go?" Bunny heard it then, eager chomping and the sound of crunches. He stretched up and looked over the rock to see Hitch licking at the plate.

"Hitch. Did you just eat my dinner?"

Hitch perked up and held up the plate. "Moe pweease."

Faustine blinked rapidly. "Seriously? But.. He's a cat!"

"Moe pweease." Hitch repeated as Bunny eyed Faustine.

"Guess he takes after his old man," Bunny hefted Hitch up to his shoulder. "Let's go to the patch and pick some fresh food."

"Yea!" Hitch patted his dad's ears with eagerness. Faustine watched, a little sad.

There was a clear favorite of parents. When around and not busy, Bunny was routinely ambushed. He scuffled, rolled, stroked, tossed in the air, he did pretty much anything that they asked of him. When he wasn't around, the children would play with each other. Faustine tried to engage them, still youthful and playful herself but they wouldn't play for long and drop everything the moment they saw Bunny.

Faustine was sitting in the distance, along her belly as her chin rested on her folded paws. She stared down at the ground, unwilling to move.

Bunny had returned home, having finished up helping Jack in making more traps. They weren't smart but the trolls were figuring out the simpler tricks so Bunny had to be very clever. With both and Jack's cleverness, Bunny was quite smug.

He grinned as the children bounded around him. "Hey, guys!"

"Hi, Papa!" Axel bounded and whapped as his dad's tail.

"Daddy!" Thump jumped onto Axel's back and bounced off her father, hopping around him with high jumps.

Hitch was rubbing between the legs, purring loudly.

"Where's your mother?" Bunny asked then.

"She's been hiding," Princessa offered. "I think she's sick."

"Really?"

"Mama is sad," Hop told him with a shake of her floppy ears. "Why?"

"Mama is sad?" Bunny walked to find her in the shadows of a large tree, very downcast.

"Hey, Faustine. You all right?"

"Oh, yea. I'm fine." She forced a smile and started for the cat bed, unable to meet his gaze. "Can you feed the children. After all, they love everything you do."

Faustine jumped nimbly into the bed, curling tightly. "And nothing about me."

His sensitive ears picked up on that last line and then he looked in on her. "They love their mama."

"They won't play with me. They don't want me touching them. They're all over you and playful and wonderful… I don't mean anything to them."

Her ears folded forward to partially cover her teary eyes. "I just want them to love them like they love you."

Bunny returned to his children. "Hey, guys, why don't you play with Mama?"

Hop blinked first. "She wants to play?"

"Of course she does!" Bunny sat back on his back legs. "She's very lonely, guys. Why don't you ever play with her? Or interact with her? What's so wrong about Mama?"

"Nothing's wrong!" Hitch protested, standing up on his back legs in surprise. "We play with each other!"

"And when I come in, you play with me."

"You're gone all the time!" Axel stood up then, indignantly. "Mama's around all the time. She gets boring."

"Axel! Do not speak of your mother like that! She has feelings too and she's hurting! Is that what you want?"

Axel slowly lowered himself, ears falling to the side. "No."

"I think you all should spend some time with her. She hasn't left you since she had you, she's very diligent in protecting you and making you happy. I think it's time you guys work to make her happy."

Hitch was the first one to move, bounding up to the cat bed. Thump beat him in the high jump, landing on the cat bed first.

Her ears drooped at the sight of her depressed mother. She put herself at her mother's bosom, nuzzling at her chin. Hitch managed to the top, climbing over his mother to rest his head then on her shoulder, nipping at her ear playfully.

Bunny kept low and hidden from sight as he helped the rest get into the bed. Axel was bounding around her, trying to get her attention.

When it didn't work, he then thought hard and came to an idea. "Watch out, guys!" He used all the force in his back legs, landing on his mother and jumping all over her with challenging meows.

"What..!" She awoke from her dreamless state finding all of them around her. She stood up into a sitting postion, Axel falling off as he then began to tug on fingers, teeth holding tightly as he growled and pulled.

"Axel, what are you doing?" Faustine rolled him into the bed, tickling him. Axel burst out laughing as suddenly, she was overcome by wiggling motion. Having all five of them turn playful made her day as she chased, pawed, and nipped lightly at them.

She was losing quickly, but she didn't mind it as she finally stopped, all five of them touching her as they laid in their various positions. She watched them with bright eyes while they fell asleep.

She climbed out carefully, landing on all fours. She found Bunny eating a snack as she rubbed against him, still on all fours. "Thank you, E."

She sat next to him, head on his shoulder.

"Think it's time you started learning to defend yourself. Can you do anything with your luck?"

"I'm not sure. I only know basic spells, making portals or Doors as we call them to get us to places. I can also make myself go fast."

"But never lifted a paw to fight?" Bunny asked.

"I'm not a fighter! I'm a defensive mechanism."

"That may play out well."

She eyed him thoughtfully. "You don't sleep in the bed anymore."

"There's no space. I'm too big."

She stood up on her tippy toes, licking at his cheek. "But I miss your warmth. You.. Miss me too, right?" She had settled back on her heels, looking up with some trepidation.

"Of course I do. It's a little hard to be with you when they're still underfoot."

"But you haven't done anything since I got pregnant. Sometimes.. Sometimes I think that's all you wanted out of me."

"No, no!" Bunny wrapped himself around her, pulling her tightly. "Our relationship isn't some physical need, it's emotional, spiritual, soulful. You healed me and I can't ever repay you for that." He nosed her gently, rubbing against her own pink nose.

"And I have missed you, very much. I've tried every way I could think of to get you and I alone but I… I'm still afraid of letting any of you out of my Warren."

"Then when you teach me to fight, you can teach the children too. And your Warren is very safe." She added. "But then, so is my Cat Haven. Our senses tell us when our children are upset or angry or hungry. No matter the distance."

"I think I know where this is going?"

"Really, thank the Maneki-Neko that I don't have to draw you a picture." She sighed heavily and then pranced around him on all fours.

"You're acting like a kitten," Bunny smirked. "It's cute but not exactly initiation.

"Oh, no, you're going to do all the work," She walked away then, on all fours, the stubby tail as erect as possible as she mooned him. "It's more fun to tease you!"

Bunny's ears twitched. "You realize you're playing with fire? I'm like twice your size! I wouldn't challenge me." He grinned, lowering himself to gather strength in his back limbs.

"I challenge you all the time!" She sat and licked at a paw. "And I always win," She added coyly then stuck her tongue out him as she made a portal and disappeared into the Cat Haven.

"See! See! That is challenging! Get back here, Kit!" He charged after her as she disappeared into the house and upwards into her bedroom.

He stared at the bed. "Is it bigger?"

"Yea, I thought it would need improvement," Faustine stuck her head out from under the blankets. "It's fun to rock and roll," She added. Despite that she was covered in a blanket, he knew when she had her butt in the air, wiggling as if she were about to jump at him.

He grinned as he climbed in.

"No breeding!" She added hurriedly. "No more until they're far more older! It's hard trying to keep their attention as is!"

"Fine, I won't. But you have to work on it, after all, it was your fault," He waited as she stuttered.

"I didn't even know what I was doing!"

"So next time you'll listen when someone explains the birds and the bees?"

"But I know all about that already!"

He pushed her into the blankets, having fully riled her up. She wiggled under him, still in an argumentative mindset.

He then proceeded to rise to her unspoken challenge, the night rising and falling as time sped on its way, leaving the two lovers to do as they wanted.

Bunny was resting against her, curled tightly as he awoke from a nightmare. He'd been seeing his past self losing everything all over again and he couldn't understand what it was that brought back those old memories.

He nuzzled Faustine who turned toward him and rested against him with a soft sigh of bliss.

His grip tightened as something nibbled on his mind but he couldn't piece together the thoughts for some reason. Something he was afraid of facing, he realized. He then found her scent filling his nose, putting him at ease as he fell back asleep, telling himself that he'd figure it all out eventually.


	14. Lucky Rabbit Chapter 13: Lucky Thirteen

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Thirteen: Lucky Thirteen

The warren was silent as Bunny stirred, having fallen asleep late while talking with Faustine. He looked around to see the children all over the place, playing in their simple ways. He'd started training the six, which did include Faustine, and his boys had picked up on his traditional weapons, the boomerang though they only managed with one at the moment.

His girls were using the agility born to them from both parents and were swifter and faster than the boys. They had spunk and power in their strikes, highly focused energy made of the combination of luck and rabbit. What's more was that they all could instill hope in each other, encouraging each other that helped them all do better.

But while they were playing at the time, Bunny was feeling a little bit worried as he didn't see Faustine around.

"Hey, Princessa," He was greeted by arms around his leg as he left the bed.

"Hi, Daddy! I love you!" Princessa beamed at him, her grip tightening.

"Where's your mother?"

"She said something about thirteen," Princessa offered.

"Thirteen?"

He took a step and found himself doing the split. His shriek made all of his children whip their heads around to look at him with fright.

"I'm.. fine.." Bunny managed. "Oh, god, that hurt," He added very softly as Princessa bounded off.

He staggered a few feet before his foot stubbed on a rock. "Augh, for the freaking…" He stopped himself, fully aware of the attention of the children, yet again. "What is happening here?!"

"I'm so sorry.." She looked up from her hiding hole, her eyes the only thing he could see. They were sorrowful and big and she was obviously trying to hide.

"You're not pregnant again, are you?" He counted on his fingers. "Thirteen kids?"

"What? No! I'd kill you first.. But that's not what I want!" She shrieked herself and hid herself, trying to be unobtrusive.

"What's going on?" Bunny walked around and a tree branch whacked him on the face. "What's with all this bad luck!?"

It suddenly dawned on him. "Wait… Friday the thirteenth… a day of bad luck.. Is this your doing, Kit?"

"Not willingly! It's sort of trying to even out the good luck by bringing the bad. It's all we can do on this day. I try to keep it simple, trips, dropping things, maybe some breakage but I can't always control what happens. It's not something I've dealt in much."

He hunched down to look in on her. "I'm sure everything will be all right."

She sighed. "It's not that easy, E. I'd let me be if I were you."

"Come on out, it's not going to be so bad!" He dragged her out of the hiding hole, gritting his teeth as the same tree branch whacked him in the eyes. "It'll be fine!" He managed through the pain.

"I don't know how it could get any worse!" She was livid. "Oh, and it's just beginning too! Oh, just let me hide!"

"Daddy! Mommy!" Came the collective cries of their children. Both of them stumbled and fell into a roll to land in the middle of the frantic group.

"There's strangers! Stranger danger! Stranger danger!" Hop cried.

Axel was on all fours, hissing and spitting. "Come closer, I dare you! I'll claw you to pieces!"

"No, you can't! You don't have claws!" Thump shouted at him.

"I can too!"

"No, you can't!"

"I CAN TOO!"

"AND I SAID!"

"Momma? Daddy?" Faustine stood up quickly and shooed her children behind her instinctively.

"Hi, honey," Her father beamed at her as her mother stood behind him, looking away pointedly. "I thought you might have a rough time today so I thought I'd bring you some good luck I've collected."

"Really?"

Hitch moved swiftly as Bunny then Faustine tried to grab him. He ignored his grandfather and went straight to his grandmother.

"Hi." He sat down, looking as polite as possible. "I'm Hitch!"

He beamed at her as she eyed him. "You're Gramma, right?"

"Who cares if it is?" Axel growled, standing in front of his bunny sisters. "She doesn't like bunnies, remember?"

Hop's voice was small. "She doesn't like me?"

"Or me?!" Thump was aghast. "But.. There's nothing wrong with us!"

"Of course there's nothing wrong with you!" Bunny, Faustine, and Erik spoke at the same time. The parents let Erik continue. "It's just that she's very traditional. But I thought meeting you would help her open her eyes to how wonderful you all are."

Hitch perked up and then proceeded to rub against Anabella's leg. "My sisters are great! Thump likes to fight like a cat and wins all the time."

"She does not!" Axel protested. "I do!"

"No, you don't!"

"Yes! I DO!"

"No! You don't!"

Bunny leaned over slowly with a whisper to Faustine. "Is this bad luck?" "No, it's just arguing."

Bunny let out his breath. "Everyone, come on, let's be on your best behavior.. Axel! Stop hissing! Thump, stop snorting!"

The two of them were shoulder to shoulder, in their fierce, defensive pose in a perfect mirror, standing in front of Hop and Princessa.

Erik bent down slowly as Thump eyed his gold fur. He was mostly gold with a calico pattern and it was something Thump felt was familiar.

"Mama! I get my fur from Grandpa?" She asked Faustine.

"It looks like it, huh?"

Thump sniffed the hand offered by Erik. "You smell nice." She raised her arms. "Up, please!"

"No, me first!" Axel offered his arms, pushing forward as the two began to fight.

Erik chuckled as he plucked up the two at the same time. "I'm not too old to hold both of you."

Axel batted at Erik's beard as Thump sniffed on the arm holding him. "He smells a little like Mama too."

Hop and Princessa were stretching themselves up on Erik. "We want attention too!" Princessa called out, her navy curls bouncing as she purred loudly. Hop head butted against a leg.

The only one not clamoring at their grandmother was Hitch, who was resting against his grandmother while watching them. "Can I come up?" He offered up his arms hopefully. "I like to be held!"

Anabella rolled her eyes and turned to Erik. "Erik, just give Faustine your gift and let's go."

Hitch's disappointment was palpable as his arms dropped slowly. He sniffled, rubbing at his eyes.

Axel's eyes turned into slits. "You made him cry!"

The four friendly children turned into fierce defenders of their littlest. Axel and Princessa hunched down, hissing at Anabella as Thump and Hop struck the ground angrily.

"It's all right, everyone. Get behind me. Hitch, come here," Faustine bent down and held out her arms.

Hitch wrapped himself around Anabella's leg suddenly. "Please like me."

"Hitch," Bunny also bent down. "You can't force someone to like you!"

"I know you do, you can't help! I feel it… in my heart.." Hitch's voice was wavery, looking up with bright, shining eyes.

Erik was the first one to say somethign. "He's a Seer."'

Faustine's arms dropped. "No, he's.."

"No, honey. I can tell." Erik knelt down. "You can see the colors of emotions, can't you?"

"Uh huh." Hitch's nub wiggled.

"He's a Seer. A sensitive soul, so to speak. I bet you're a vegetarian."

"I thought it was because I was," Bunny was disappointed.

"No, that's still true. To make a Seer takes a combination of gifts. The power of Hope and Luck made all of you but you," He plucked Hitch up. "Will be one of our Greater. You need to be taught what to do with your gift. Great Uncle Ai can teach you."

"Great Uncle Ai is nuts."

Erik rolled his eyes at Faustine. "He's eccentric."

"He's strange!"

"Does he remind you of Hitch?"

"That's not the point!"

Erik turned his attention to Hitch. "You can see auras and emotions. This is a superb gift, especially when dispensing Luck to others. You know who needs it and you'll instinctively know how to give it. It's a very good power. Not even Friday the Thirteen will do anything to you."

"And I knew someone liked the children," Erik said pointedly to Anabella. "Stop acting prissy and apologize to your daughter."

Anabella crossed her arms. "Not in front of the bunny."

"You should apologize to him as well."

"Erik!"

"Anabella!"

"Fine. I am truly sorry for my behaviors and I will try to be more accepting of you.. Mr. Bunny," She forced out with difficulty. "It won't be easy and it'll take time but I'm sure there will be a time when we can get along."

Faustine was tapping a foot.

"I'm sorry, honey," Anabella looked sad. "I was rude, hateful, and angry, all for no good reasons. I'm sorry that I missed your birthing and the growth of your children."

"I think you should do a better apology to E." Faustine turned her nose up.

Bunny put his hand on her head, pushing it down. "It's fine."

"But…"

"I think the children should get to know their grandparents. Family is very important."

"Well, fine, but only for you."

She shifted and slipped backwards onto her back. "Ow! Stupid bad luck!"

Erik and Anabella stayed around for the rest of the day, spending time with the family. Bunny even sat with them for a while before he noticed that Hitch was missing.

He excused himself and tried not to panic when he at first didn't find his youngest son.

"Hi, Daddy!' Hitch was up in a high branch.

"How'd you get up there?"

"I jumped."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm thinking."

"All right. Want to talk?"

"Do you want to talk?"

Bunny scratched his ear, sniffing. "Yea. Of course. I asked you…"

"No, about why you're so upset."

Bunny held out his arms. "Come down and explain."

He caught him easily as Hitch nuzzled affectionately. "You're sad sometimes. You're afraid too. I was trying to think but I don't think it's us that's doing it. Why are you hurting?" Hitch looked up with big eyes. "It's because you won't let us out."

"You're not old enough…"

"But.. We are, aren't we? Didn't your other family be allowed to leave?"

"How did you.."

"I had a dream about it," Hitch head butted against his father's chin, talking softly. "It was sad and painful, so many colors, so lonely and empty. Everyone left and you were all alone. You're afraid of it happening. And of something else but I don't know what that is because you don't know it yet."

"You are one smart cookie," Bunny sat down with Hitch in his lap. "I am afraid, yes. Of losing all of you. I don't think I could be if I lost all of you. You're my world now and I need to keep you with me."

"But you won't. Know why?" Hitch leaned up with an excited look and a twinkle in his gaze.

"All right, I'll bite. Why?"

"Cause we got luck!" Hitch jumped, wrapping arms around his father's neck with a giggling fit. "We're lucky cause we got luck and Daddy's foot!"

Bunny snickered as he found Hitch rolling and moving around his head before tearing off. He was hopping on all four limbs, sideways in his playful mode. "Come on! Come on! Can't catch me!" He tore off on all four as Bunny followed suit.

"Wait! Not so fast! Hitch, don't use your luck, that's cheating!"

Erik was tapping his bell as he hummed. "I have more gifts for the children, Faustine."

"Yea?" "Yes! It's time for them to get their bells."

Thump and Hop looked up. "Us too?"

"Absolutely! You two are extra lucky!"

"Cause we have a lucky rabbit's foot?" Thump grinned and hit the ground with a leg.

"Yes!" Erik nosed her. "You are all so cute!"


	15. Lucky Rabbit Chapter 14: Lucky Reveals

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Fourteen: Lucky Reveals

Jack was silent as the night was ending. He'd been trying to sleep but his dreams were full of hauntings of trolls and people screaming. He wondered just how the Hell he started having such dreams when he never had anything to do with the trolls.

But he'd been watching for months now and he finally found the small tribe. Not the entrance to their own world but what appeared to be the main leader in the trolls around the world. He called himself Trow and was the biggest one in the group of five that he was a part of. Another was Hedge, that Faustine had met previously.

Jack wasn't too sure if there were any females in the group. They all looked like monsters to him. Trow's companion and Jack's impression of being his mate, was called Strife and dressed in more clothes than the others, was thought to be female. The last two seemed to be twins, they looked exactly the same. One was named Doom and the other was named Fear.

"For a group that's never interacted with humanity, they have human words," Jack muttered, confused. "They must've had some way to watch us but why?"

North had been adamant that the trolls lived in a world that was perfect for them, with enough lands and food to sustain them for as long as they lived.

"If he's so sure of it, then why are they wandering? Trying to eat people? What's driven them out?"

Jack's eavesdropping hadn't revealed anything but plans for destruction and pain. He could only think of one solution to find out some answers.

The five were gathered in a dark and damp forest, surrounding a blindingly bright fire as several pigs were roasting.

Jack landed just behind Hedge, resting on a branch just out of their reach.

"Hey there."

Trow stirred slowly and moved upward from his sitting position, in no great hurry. "Who this?" He barked at Hedge whose shoulders hunched in fear.

"I not know!" Hedge wheezed.

"He pretty. I want!" Strife begged. Trow swatted at her angrily as she growled right back at him. "I want! I want!"

"No! You mine!" Trow stomped past the fire for a few steps. "What you?"

"I'm Jack Frost, the Guardian of Fun."

Trow's eyes narrowed. "Gu..ardi…an? You are protectors. Trouble for us!"

"No, you're trouble. What's the deal? You're supposed to be in your habitat!"

"Not any more." Doom and Fear slammed their hands together with glee. "We eat humans!"

Trow hissed violently at them, as they all cowered from him. Trow eyed Jack. "Frost, what you want?"

"I'd like you to leave."

"Big wish but no. We stay. Humans worthless now, no need to keep around. We eat, consume all and take world back."

"Really? Conquering?" Jack was stymied. "That's just asinine."

Trow growled. "You big words, Frost. We cut you down with all others. We ruled before Guardians. We feasted in the Plague, the dead. Now we want live."

"You can't do that! That's not how it's done," Jack balanced himself on his heels, preparing to jump. He had feeling that Trow was reaching the tethers of his patience. "Your world is supposed to be perfect! What's wrong with it that you left?"

"We Rogues," Hedge blurted. "We no ties!"

"Hedge!" Trow hefted a stone and threw it between the eyes. "Take him down!"

"I sorry! I sorry!" Hedge screamed as Doom and Fear dragged him away.

Trow turned and found Jack gone.

Strife opened her mouth. "I want, Trow! I eat him?"

"To eat or to be?" Trow stared coldly. "You mine. I own. He nothing but fodder."

Strife lowered her gaze in submission. "I sorry."

"Hedge fool. He punished."

Jack had fled the moment the rage in Trow's eyes had sparked. He knew how to push and how to run when he had to. Now he had a few answers that might be helpful.

"I want to go out and hunt!" Jack came into the Warren to hear Faustine shouting. "E! I don't want to remain here! I need to go do my job!"

"But you can work luck from here, with the children and me.."

"The world needs luck and even if it's missing one of us, there's a place out there facing nothing but despair and pain. I am going and you cannot tell me no!"

Jack finally came into view to see both of their foreheads against each other, both of them determined to win the argument.

Jack's gaze dropped to the children who were all watching with big eyes.

"Ummm… guys? Your kids are getting upset." Jack pointed out.

"What?" Faustine perked up ."Oh, my little dears, it's all right. Mommy and Daddy are just having a.. loud conversation."

"It was an argument," Bunny corrected. "Don't sugar coat it for them! They need to know that it's perfectly healthy to have an argument."

"Just like it's healthy for you to lock me up?" Faustine hissed. "You won't even let me go to my Cat Haven!"

"Just.. Wait until the children are older.."

"They are older! It's time to introduce them to the world we protect. They need to start using their gifts of luck too. How else are we to make this a better place when we can't even leave!"

The two were back at glaring at each other, both of them tense.

The wail startled them as Hop began to cry out loud. Thump followed by Princessa where even the boys howled in tears.

Both of the parents went crazy, trying to comfort the children.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Parents." He then turned wistful at a memory that ran through his mind. He made a note to go visit Jaime and his friends. To be sure that they were all right as well as to find some fun to be had.

However, Bunny and Faustine broke apart, all but one child following their mother. Hitch tugged on an arm.

"Daddy. I wanna see the world."

"Not yet, Hitch."

"But Mama's getting anxious. She's feral."

"Feral?"

Hitch chewed his lip. "Luck stalls and she gets anxious. Feral, angry. You don't want her angry."

"I've seen her angry."

"Not full of power," Hitch tugged harder. "Power needs to be shared."

"Don't worry about it, Hitch. Power is shared," Bunny gently pushed him forward to where the rest were going to.

Hitch rolled his eyes. "That's not the only way to share power," He said pointedly as Bunny turned red when he realized his son knew what he meant when talking about sharing power, which was for him to be with Faustine physically. He forced a smile.

"Go on, Hitch."

Hitch mooned him as he stalked off, showing one of his mother's moves to frazzle Bunny.

"Cocky, isn't he?"

"What do you want, Jack?" Bunny said tiredly.

"You really shouldn't be so protective. I've never seen you like this. You're usually intense, yea, but this is just bizarre for you."

"I'm not having this conversation with you," Bunny stalked away only to come back angrily. "I can't let them out! They have to stay here!"

"Why?" Jack balanced on his staff, seemingly not paying attention. He was trying to be as unobtrusive to allow Bunny the feeling and freedom of speech.

"You wouldn't understand."

Bunny walked past him, running his hand through his ears. Jack eyed him and followed with a slight jump.

"So explain it to me. Or explain it to Faustine before she tries to kill you."

"She wouldn't do that."

"She'd deny you attention."

Bunny glared. "She already is!"

"Poor Bunny." Jack rolled his eyes as he twirled the staff. "Soooo?"

"I once had a very large family. With a mate, many children, many sisters and brothers. And in one night, they were taken from me. When I was just starting out as a Guardian. It nearly destroyed me. If it hadn't been for my mate telling me to go on and live, I would not be here. I can't bear the thought of losing everything all over again."

"I think I could understand. I mean, there are times when I miss my family, now that I have my memories. But I am happy that my sister was safe, my family continued to live and go on without me too."

Jack pointed the staff, tapping Bunny's shoulders. "You're not a novice anymore. And your new mate isn't stupid. She's silly, funny, even childish at times, but she's not stupid. Cats are cunning, swift, and fierce. Kind of like how you are. Though she's not full of herself."

Bunny glared at him pointedly.

"Just the truth, man."

Jack scratched his chin. "And your mate has luck on her side. Do you know what that means? She can turn the tides of any fights or battles or dangers to help us! She can protect us, protect you. If you weren't so insistent that you can do everything and she can't, I think you'd both come to a conclusion with this stupid argument."

Jack snorted. "You have changed. You're obsessed with keeping all of them safe but sooner or later, and it's probably going to be sooner, someone's going to snap and she might leave you."

Bunny swiveled on his heel. "Don't you dare suggest that."

"You can't keep her here. And you can't just stay here. I found out a bit about the trolls."

"You did?"

"Yes, I've been eavesdropping and I found the group that seems to be directing the rogue trolls."

"That's great! We can go and kick their butts!"

"They're ten times your size! I think we need to find a better plan than kicking butt."

"I beg to differ, mate. I know I can do it."

"DADDYYYY!" Bunny's ears turned backwards as he tore toward his children. Princessa was crying loudly. "Axel pinched me!"

"I did not! She stomped my foot!" Axel protested.

"I did not! You started it!"

"No fighting! You need to get along… where's your mother?"

"She said she had a job to do and she'd be back tonight."

"FAUSTINE!"

He ran hard toward a rabbit hole.

Jack sighed tiredly. "So I guess I get to baby sit."

He fell to his side as his staff was kicked out by Hop. He was overcome by the hard pitter patter of feet all over his body as he tried to get up and away from the hoard.

"Stop walking all over me!"

"Faustine! Faustine!"

Faustine had landed in her hometown of Pleasant Hill and was quietly working. She had found an elderly lady struggling to get across the street and gently directed a kind teenaged boy to help her to do so.

"Such a good boy," She waved at them despite knowing that they couldn't see her. She was walking down Contra Costa Boulevard with a leisurely step. It was a busy street full of various stores such as Rite Aid and Safeway. She even thought of popping into the movie theater to help a couple get lucky, at least for a kiss.

She walked for a while before finding the small park where she'd met Bunny. Just past the town hall, it was a wide landscape of grass. It was quiet as summer was nearly gone and children were starting school.

She sat in the grass, enjoying the wind. The scent of autumn was strong in the wind as she laid back, stretching out with a yawn.

She felt it, a tingling in her bell as she watched the blue skies. "What else can I do to bring luck?"

Her vision was blocked by a glaring Bunny.

"Crap. I knew I should've kept moving around."

"I told you not to leave!"

"And I told you I had a job to do." Faustine got up and then stretched her spine, claws dug into the ground. "I'm rusty too so if you don't mind.."

"Please, Faustine. Just.. Stay."

"I can't! None of us can't. Even you have to leave the Warren eventually and it's not fair that you can and I can't."

"I can protect myself!"

"And I'm not incapable of doing such." Faustine pointed to herself. "I've been taking care of myself for a long time. Ever since we mated, you've been soo… afraid. It's not anything I've ever seen of you and I don't know why this is.."

"I've lost everything before, Kit. I wasn't strong enough, fast enough. It was crippling for me and hope dimmed dangerously. I can't face that again."

"But you won't!" She stamped her foot in frustration. "It's not like that anymore! There's no Plague, there's no threat, all that there is is what's around us." She waved an arm to show the park off. "With humans and animals, everything's safer now and it's because it's changed as well as that there are Guardians. As long as we have you and the others, we're all safe."

"And I won't be chained up like a lioness! I need to be free! You don't want me grumpy all the time, do you?"

She didn't give him a chance to answer. "Of course you don't! And I want our children to be well-rounded. They have to see the good and bad in the world and learn their morals and how to do wondrous things with their luck."

They stared at each other.

"I love you, E. And I trust you. I would only hope that you would trust me," She patted his chest with a paw lightly. "After all, I won you over, didn't I?"

"And I suspect you think you'll win this argument?"

"I haven't lost one yet."

"That's because I can't sleep without you by my side!"

She giggled as she nuzzled against him. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

"Then you have to trust that we'll be safe. For the kids, I'll take only one out at a time. It's how my mother did with her last litter."

"And I get the rest of them."

"As long as they stay in the Warren, they don't need a baby sitter."

"They four."

"Five."

He glared at her.

"I guess that is kind of young to be alone. I was alone…oh, wait, no, I wasn't. I was with my Uncle Stephan… who kind of didn't watch me all that well. I remember a lot of escapades."

"There's something else that's bothering me."

"Is it because we haven't had any private time lately because of your arguing?"

"No, " Bunny said dryly. "It's something that I don't know what it is. All I know is it's a terror that haunts my dreams. I relive everything from the last time I had my family, watching them die all over.." His voice trailed off as his eyes grew misty and pained. He was caught in the past again as Faustine held his face to get his attention. "Sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I hope someday I'll be able to heal that part of you," She added softly. "It's something I want to ask about but.. I don't want to get jealous… or feel inadequate.." She trailed off, hands dropping down. "I mean, I'm not like you."

"You're perfect for me."

"Really?"

"Aside from the arguments, the mooning, the hissy fits, and the feline traits, sure!"

She glared at him as he grinned at her.

"E. You're afraid of losing me."

He stilled.

"It's not the same as letting us out, either. I think… you're afraid something will happen and I'll die."

His eyes widened. "That's.. it! That's it! You're not like me in that aspect. Our children are because they have my blood… but you're the only one who isn't immortal. You age very slowly, yes, but there's be a time when you're old and feeble and so close to being away from me…"

"I'm sure things will work out for the better."

"How did Hitch know what I was feeling?" Bunny asked out loud.

"How does Hitch know anything?" Faustine crossed her arms. "I can't wait for him to be taught by Great Uncle Ai."

"I thought you didn't want him to be with him?"

"I changed my mind. I don't know what to do with Hitch and his specialty. He's already discovered his talents and so young too! I had to be around eight, nine?"

"And what is your specialty?"

She opened her mouth and closed it. "Nuts. I haven't yet pinpointed the exact thing that I bring strong luck in. Something about love, I think. I've had great success with it! And you're one of my success stories!"

He rolled his eyes as he pulled her to walk with him. "Come home."

"I have to work."

It was hard for him as he fought his feelings. "All right. I trust you."

"Yea!" She threw up her hands and danced around him as he snickered.

"Who's watching the kids?"

"Oh, I'm sure Jack stuck around."

The Guardian of Fun was glowering as he was used as a Maypole. "This is embarrassing. How is this fun for me?"

"You're the center of attention! I thought you liked that," Axel responded. "All right! Fun's over! Tie him up!"

"WHAT?!"

"Yea!" Came the collective cry as Jack was yet again ambushed.


	16. Lucky Rabbit Chapter 15: Lucky Test

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Fifteen: Lucky Test

Faustine was trying to be very serious but it was very difficult when all of her children wanted to be the first to see the world.

"I'm the oldest! I should be first!"

"I was last, I should go!"

"Momma, take me please! I'm your little Princess!"

Faustine sighed. "I can only take one. And the one to decide this is your father.." She turned away, speaking softly. "Because I can't decide!"

"WHAT?!" Bunny glared. "Fine but I get to be left with the rest complaining all day long."

"Just let them tie you up, that makes them happy."

Bunny smirked, remembering coming back to the Warren to see Jack tied up sharply to a tree, both indignant and embarrassed to have been bested by children.

"Well?" Faustine said loudly, breaking into his thoughts.

"Hop."

"Really?"

"Yea, she's the only one that hasn't complained. Even Hitch is fighting for it," Bunny pointed to see Hitch being wrestled by Axel.

"Me! No, me!"

Bunny sighed. "Hop!"

Hop had been watching the two with interest but perked up when she was called. She bounded up to her parents, grinning. "I get to go?!"

"Yep! Go with your mother and stay by her side! Do not leave her side!" He added as Hop tore off, Faustine running to catch up with her enthusiastic daughter.

Out and about, they were walking in a slightly downcast day. The sun was trying to shine as the wind moved, a bite to its touch.

"Where do I start?" Hop danced around her mother eagerly. "What do I say?" "Well, you don't have to say anything to bring good luck. If it's a powerful spell, though, you do need to say something to make it form. Luck, however, is supposed to be random at best."

Hop was watching people. "There's so many different kinds! Why do they look so different?"

"They're made of different places, different traits. But I treat them all the same. They all deserve good luck."

"What about the bad people?"

"Okay, well, maybe not them… but we're not supposed to have preferences.."

"I like the children! Look at how tiny that one is!" They passed by a woman pushing a baby carriage. "So cute!"

Hop tapped the carriage with a beam.

"What'd you do?" Faustine watched with worry. "You can't do that to babies! They can't do anything with luck!"

"The mom is holding the carriage. She'll get the luck, right?"

"Honey, I'm not sure that's going to work. You touched an inanimate object. You need to touch.."

Hop poked at a rough looking guy stomping past them. He stalled, shook himself and then started to walk with a light step.

"Hey! I lightened up his mood!"

Faustine ruffled her hair. "Yes, you did!"

"What else can I do?"

Faustine grinned as she started from lesson one, how to know who needs luck and how much they need it.

Spending the entire day with her little bunny was wonderful. She never had so much devoted attention but Hop was very serious about learning about being a being of luck and bringing joy in that fashion.

She was very good at lightening moods and breaking dark clouds of depression. She was instinctive and quick to pinpoint and sensitive. Faustine was prancing around eagerly back in the Warren while Hop had rejoined her siblings to brag about her talents.

"She already knows her talent! She's sooo good! You should've seen her, she was so wonderful, so bright-eyed, and sensitive!"

"What's her specialty?"

"Ever seen anyone in a bad mood or depressed? She can make them happy or remind them of the lucky times that they had! Oh, it was so beautiful!"

Bunny watched Faustine prance on all fours, very proud and delighted in her bunny.

"MOOOMMMMYY!"

Faustine stalled. "Uh oh…"

"I want to be next!" Thump's eyes were huge and pleading.

Axel was on his knees, paws clasped together. "Pretty please! I will never ask for anything again!"

"I want to! I want to!" Princessa wailed. "I never get any attention!"

"What? You get it all the time because you can't shut up!" Axel hissed.

"What?" Princessa burst into tears. "I can toooo!"

Bunny sighed.

"You decide," Faustine whispered loudly.

"WHAT? No! You do it this time!"

"I can't make a decision! How could I say no to all of these little cutie pies?"

Bunny whacked his face, dragging down his paw in defeat. "Fine. Axel."

"Yea!"

"NO FAIR!"

The next morning, Faustine took Axel to Bergess rather than Pleasant Hill. She watched as he ran back and forth between people, sniffing furiously. He sat down and scratched his ears furiously. "Geez! It's getting cold! I want to go home!"

"Axel, you can't."

"There are too many people! It's so hard to…" Axel suddenly perked up. "Hey…." He breathed and then tore off across the street while Faustine screamed as cars flew by the foolish kitten.

She was glad that mortals couldn't hear her as her hand held her chest while her heart beat furiously. She barely made it across to find Axel tap a very shy girl who had been trying to approach a bunch of other girls who were playing with jump rope.

The girl blinked as she suddenly took a deep breath and approached the group. Her voice was wavering as she asked, "Can I play with you?"

"Hey, you're that new kid in school!"

"Yea, we have the same classes!"

"Sure, come on. More the merrier!"

The other girls surrounded the shy girl as she beamed, thanking her luck that she was courageous enough to reach out to others.

Axel lowered his head as he tapped his bell and then bounded around his mother. "I did it! I did it!" He sang off-key as she scruffed him. "Ow!"

"You ran across the street without looking and into traffic! You can get very injured, let alone perish in such a stupid action! Even I knew better when I was younger!"

"She was about to leave without trying! I had to help her!"

His eyes were huge. "That's what we're supposed to do, right?"

Faustine sighed. "Yes."

"Then can I go help that gentleman at the bench? He wants to ask that woman's name."

"Fine."

Axel pranced over and tapped the gentleman who finally managed to introduce himself.

Spending time with Axel was tiring. He was very insistent and traveled all over town, following his nose first then instinct.

Faustine collapsed at the Warren, letting out a long sigh.

Bunny appeared, covered in various layers of paint. She started giggling uncontrollably.

"It's not funny!"

"Oh, did you want me to clean you?" She offered, sticking out her tongue expectantly.

He held himself. "Not near the children."

She giggled harder.

He walked to the nearby stream to bathe as she watched him. She walked over when he seemed to have stopped scrubbing hard, the paint finally thinning out of his fur. She settled on the rock and carefully dipped a toe.

She then shuddered and put herself at a farther, and for her, safer distance. "Axel's specialty is friendship. He brings luck to those who want to make friends and finally is able to."

"That's great."

"I think I'll take a break."

"The others won't let you."

"Axel wore me out! He ran all over the town, not to mention kept running into traffic.." She ended on a growl. "Also, I returned home sooner because I picked up the putrid smell of trolls."

"Really? How close were they?"

"Can't tell. It was brought by the wind."

He then blinked. "He ran into traffic? AXEL!"

Axel's head popped out from behind a tree. "Uh oh."

"Get over here!"

"See you!" Axel told his siblings as he tore off, the others giggling as Bunny charged.

"I'll teach you to be reckless! Get over here so we can talk! No! Don't climb the damn tree!"

Faustine stretched as she was soon joined by her other children as they settled against her to rest and wait for dinner.

"So who's next, Mama?" Thump asked, with a hopeful look.

"Oh, please! Let it be me!" Princessa begged.

Hitch rubbed his face against his mother's chin. "I've been on my best behavior! Ask Papa!"

"We have been too!" Thump protested.

"Me especially! I'm your little Princess, remember?"

"All right, Princessa, you can go next."

She gloated at her other siblings with a smirk.

"You won't go unless you stop that."

Princessa hurriedly wiped her face free of the smug look. "Sorry."

Faustine listened to the distant arguing of Bunny versus Axel. Bunny was clearly losing as he couldn't climb the high and incredibly thin branches which Axel was currently resting on, very casual.

"Kit, please get our son."

She eyed him. "Can you start dinner then?"

"Yea!" Hitch danced around him with glee.

"Aww, Mom! He can't do it!" Princessa protested.

"I'll get you and Axel's food ready after I get him."

Bunny was followed by Thump, Hop, and Hitch for their salads.

Princessa dragged herself behind her as Faustine went to the tree. Axel was shimming down the trunk with a whistle as Faustine took him by the scruff.

"Momma!"

"Shush, Axel. You can't run from being disciplined. You need to learn that you need to keep yourself safe, no ifs, ands, or buts."

"But I don't want to be yelled at!"

"It's not a yelling contest, it's just a conversation."

Bunny snatched up Axel who tried to smile at his father's glare. "It's not a conversation, it's me yelling at him for being foolish!"

"I was watching where I was going!"

"Say that without looking guilty and I might believe you," Bunny shook a free finger at him as Axel tried acting cute by batting at the hand. Bunny hefted him higher as he told Faustine. "You get their food and I'll let him go when I'm done talking."

"You mean yelling," Axel muttered as the two disappeared.

Faustine hunted out some birds outside the Warren and returned to the Warren with a full catch. She thought of letting them eat raw but Bunny really didn't approve of that so she cooked it in the hand-made firepit, She de-feathered the birds, stuck them on sticks and roasted them with glee.

She found Princessa rubbing against her legs with a loud purr. "It smells so good!"

"I know, huh? These birdies are my favorite! They're so tasty!"

Bunny was green as he let Axel go who danced around the glowing fire with a hungry look in his eyes. Bunny walked off to see his other children finishing their salads.

He note Hitch pulling out various carrots with a frown.

"These aren't growing that well." Hitch gave a hard sniff. "Papa, I think I shouldn't go with Mama for training."

"Why do you always say things out of the blue?"

"Because I have to get it out of my head."

"Fair enough. Go on, I'm listening."

"I don't think my specialty is luck at all. Grandpa was explaining that Seers are those in the Maneki-Neko meant for different paths. Great Uncle Ai instills love, not luck."

"And what do you instill?"

"Hope. Like you."

Bunny beamed. "Really?"

"Yea!" Hitch sat down at his father's feet. "I don't want to go out and tap on people to give them luck when I'd rather instill hope here. My family needs me more than the world, especially soon."

"Soon?" "Uh huh."

"What's 'soon'?"

"Not sure but it's something that'll change everything."

"I see. Is it bad?"

"Starts out like it but ends up good."

Bunny sighed. "Riddles, I love riddles."

He sat down next to Hitch. "Sure you don't want to go out?"

"Well, can't I go out with you?"

"I suppose so but Faustine is really looking forward to being the one to do so."

"I know, I know but I wanna go with you!" Hitch dropped his small head on his father's arms. "Pretty please?"

"I'll talk to your mother."

Hitch beamed at him, an infectious smile as Bunny grinned back.


	17. Lucky Rabbit Chapter 16: Lucky Memories

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Sixteen: Lucky Memories

Princessa was peeking into her mother's face as she slept. She had no qualms about boundaries as she was a mere two inches from Faustine's sleeping face.

"Mommmmmmaaaa…" She whispered softly. "Mooommmmaaa.."

She frowned. "WAKE UP!"

Faustine jumped into the air about ten feet then landed on all four feet on the ground. She and the others had resided in the Cat Haven this time as Faustine had missed her home a bit.

"I'm up.. I'm up…" She said groggily.

"Hi, Mommy! Time to go out and learn the world!" Princessa danced around her mother with glee, bouncing out of the room as Faustine glared at her butt wiggling in the air.

"Grrr… I was having the most magical dream, flying on E's shoulders while he sang me a beautiful love song.."

"For the record," Bunny looked out, blinking the sleep of his eyes. "I can't sing."

"Nonsense! If I can, you can!"

"Kit, honey, you can't sing."

"Can too! I'm a cat so that's why!"

"That's why it's called yowling and why people throw things at you," Bunny muttered, digging back into the blankets only to look into very inquisitive eyes of Hitch and Axel.

"What are you doing?!"

He stood up as the two brothers tore out, singing off-key. "Mommy and Daddy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S…"

Bunny rolled himself off the bed. "Bigger means having hidden presents in the bed," He grumbled. "What if they came in earlier last night?"

Faustine was dragged out by the excited Princessa. "We should eat…" Faustine protested.

"We can hunt!" Princessa's ears picked up on the telltale sounds of scurrying. "Oh, and it's close by!"

"Kit, you and the little Warrior take…" Bunny flushed green as Princessa looked up, her mouth full of a mouse. "Care while I go inside and pretend I never saw this."

Princessa ate neatly while Faustine snuck around only to growl in hunger. "Great. I can't catch this morning."

"Byyyyee, Mommy!" Princessa ran like a bull, forming a portal as Faustine shrieked and tore after her, shouting at her.

"Don't go without me! Your father will kill me!"

Princessa jumped around with glee, bounding here and there in the relatively good weather. Not many people were out this early in the morning, most preferring to travel by vehicle rather than by foot.

She finally came a halt as Faustine rubbed her empty stomach with some despair. "Well, honey? Feel anything yet?"

"I don't know," Princessa's ears turned in various directions. "People have to make their luck, right? That's why we touch them, to give them a boost to guide them in the right direction?"

"Yes, honey, that's right."

Faustine watched Princessa as she searched, very still. "Hmmm." Princessa stood up and started walking, slowly hurrying as she felt something pull to her.

She sniffed around a elderly old man, looking down, tired, and grumpy. He was tossing out bread crumbs but no birds would come.

"Huh. He's too grumpy! The birds don't like that!" Princessa studied him. "What's wrong with him? He's full of sadness, Mama."

"Sometimes people are that way."

"His mind is foggy.. He wants to remember."

"Remember what?"

Princessa settled next to the elderly man and gently tapped his hand tossing out the birds. It took a moment before his eyes brightened and he smiled, a truly happy smile. The birds, sensing the change in the manner of the elder, flew down to peck at the offering, bouncing and scurrying around the man's feet with no regards to him save for his throwing hand.

"Luck can come in old memories, right?" Princessa went to her mother's side. "In hopes that what you've experienced will continue, that the luck will still be there even as you get older and feebler."

"I see," Faustine patted her hair, pulling on a curl.

"Soooo…" She wiggled with excitement, jumping away from her mother. "I feel lucky! Let's go!"

Princessa was much how Axel had been, vicarious, all over the place, and soon ran down her mother as she panted, finally heading home. Faustine literally crashed in the Warren while Princessa went to brag about her escapades.

Faustine's stomach growled painfully as she lay on her front.

"I haven't eaten all day," She whined softly. "But I'm too tired to move! E, help me! I need inspiration!"

"For what?" He toed her in the shoulder as she glared at him from the side profile. "Awww, what's wrong with the itty bitty kit?"

"I'm starving."

"Didn't you eat this morning?"

"No because a certain kitten was running through a portal!"

"The children don't listen very well to you."

"They listen plenty!" Faustine was indignant, her pride pricked as she surged to her feet. She was wobbly as her stomach gurgled and she fell flat on her buttocks.

"I would so argue if I had the energy," She hissed as she fell backwards onto her back with a groan.

"Hey, kids! Can you go find something for your mother to eat? I'm asking in particular Axel and Princessa so the rest of you can get her some snacks from the gardens!"

"OKAY!"

He sat down next to her before settling on his back to look up at the domed ceiling. "How'd it go?"

"She specializes in the elderly and memories. To bring luck that tomorrow will be a better day because of all that they have endured."

"That's sweet."

"Yea… why is it that they find their specialty and I haven't had so much as a hint?"

"I thought it had to do with love and romance."

"No, I feel like.. Like it's something far more powerful yet singular. I don't know any more than that though. I mean, there have been others who have never discovered their source of luck, becoming instead the random movement of luck which.. Doesn't always turn out into the good luck you thought you were doing."

She paused. "Something I don't want."

Her stomach once more grumbled.

"Kids? How's the hunt going?"

"What hunt?" Came a shout.

"Did they forget to feed me?!" Faustine bristled. "After all feeding I do for them!"

"Moommmyyy! We're hungry!" Came the collective cry from somewhere behind her.

She was growling softly, claws out as she dug in.

"You realize they're doing that on purpose?" Bunny poked at her tail. "They like seeing you riled. You then chase them and that's what they want."

"I don't care.." She fell to the ground. "Make me a salad." She begged, eyes big on her face. "I'm so hungry!"

One of her ears swiveled as the familiar look of a hunter appeared on her face.

"Wait until I'm…" Bunny winced as she disappeared in seconds, several loud chomps heard. "You'd think the mice would learn to stay out of my Warren. Apparently, they DO have small brains."

He continued to wince as he heard a series of crunches, perforated with moments of loud purring. "I really wish you didn't enjoy that."

She walked out on all fours, stretching before she settled to clean herself. "Thank god it was close by. Then the others ran off and I couldn't help it. They're so sweet and tasty and crunchy, because they eat all of your delightful grass."

"They're not the only ones. You do it when your stomach's upset."

"It helps."

"I use this grass for the baskets!"

"Oh, you have a selected area for that. I don't eat from it…" She smiled nervously under his pointed stare. "Much.. Anymore.. I'll stop."

"You're a terrible liar, Kit."

"But you love me for it, right?"

"I wouldn't love you for lying!"

"For five beautiful children?" Her ear swiveled to the side. "Who I think are trashing about in your gardens."

"My what? Get out of there, you rascals! I told you to not go in there unless you wanted to get something to eat!"

It took some time to get the children to sleep as Bunny finally staggered away from the bed. He followed his nose to where Faustine was, resting against a Warrior egg as she stroked a little egg gently.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, hey E. I was just thinking."

"About Hop's first time out and about?"

"No, not that…" Her ears went down as she peered up at him. "You've been keeping something from me. It's been bothering me more and more that you talk to our son about it but you won't mention it to me."

"Did Hitch…."

"No, I heard you talking the other day about why Hitch didn't want to come. I knew that was going to happen, instinct told me but hearing about your fears.. I know this all happened fast, with the children and we didn't have as much time as we should've to really gotten to know each other.."

"You're talking about me only, aren't you?"

"I figured I already knew everything about you.. But I was wrong," She conceded. "There are some things I'm afraid to ask you about too."

"Like my family."

"I.. don't want comparisons or to feel like I can't measure up or maybe this was all some stupid…"

He dropped down to her level, covering her mouth to stop her surging panic attack. "I chose to be with you because you are what I want and love. You inspire hope in me and make me happy and warm and loved. I had been alone for so long that for me to fall for someone was like a rock hitting me in the head. I knew it all along but it took longer to admit it. I don't compare you because there is nothing to compare. What is in the past is in the past and what is now is now. There is no links, there is no competition, and maybe, if you're really curious, I would tell you about myself from that long ago. I was much younger and stupider."

He smirked. "Kind of like you are."

"I am not stupid!"

"Fine, careless."

"I am not careless!"

He was grinning at her as she glared at him, arms crossed.

"Ah, Kit. You're way too easy to tease."

"I'll show you tease!" She glowered as she stood up.

She then threw up her hands. "No! Let's get back to the topic at hand! About you worrying about me growing old and gray."

"How long does your kind live?"

She eyed him, as she felt his worry underneath his words.

"I know my great-great grandmother is still around. Not youthful but my grandparents are considered youngish… I'm not sure, really. I think we can live maybe three hundred? Four hundred years tops.

"And how long have you been around?"

"Ummm… I'm not sure. I never really counted and we don't really celebrate birthdays. I'm definitely young compared to others of my kind. I'm still small and cute and kittenish…"

"Yea, I noticed."

"I'm fully grown though! I just happen to be small."

"Petite."

"Yes!" She licked a shoulder. "Well, compared to your massive height."

He took a few obvious steps forward, towering over her with a small smile.

"Yes, Captain Obvious."

She watched him from the sides of her eyes. "So you're afraid of me dying?"

"Our children will become like me. Stop aging in order to remain here, to protect this area and children and hope but I won't have you forever."

"I'm sure there's something we can do about that."

Bunny's eyebrow twitched. "Sure, and what would be your idea?"

"Why not ask the Man in the Moon?"

"No."

"But.."

"Look, I don't know if he can help in this type of situation. Maybe we can find a Elemental or something, ask around."

There was a long, heavy pause.

"Still think my idea is better."

"Look, kit, can we drop the subject? I'm getting rather depressed here."

She snuggled against him. "Fine. We'll think more on it. And now, I will pass out and expect Hop to wake me up at the crack of dawn because that's what they've all been doing!"

"Fine." Bunny dragged her away from the bed to find themselves in a secluded area of the Warren, another cat bed available.

"Your Dad stopped by and I asked if he could help me get another one. So that we don't have to constantly share with the children."

"I thought you liked sleeping with them!"

"There are a few things I miss and I'm going to get it."

"Really? With that attitude?"

His ears went back, apologetic. "Sorry."

"No, you're not! You!" She poked him in the chest. "Are a bad bunny." She stalked off and jumped into the cat bed before peering out under the blankets with a challenging stare.

"You really like pushing my buttons, don't you?"

"You make it easy!"

"I'll show you easy," He muttered as he climbed in. He grinned as she disappeared, the blankets trembling at her frantic wiggling. "I can't take you serious if you act like a kitten!"'

"I'm a good little kitty," She stuck her head out and stuck her tongue out. "Bad bunny! Bad bunny!"

He disappeared under the blankets, making her shriek and laugh. It took some time before the movements in the blankets stilled.


	18. Lucky Rabbit Chapter 17: Lucky End

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Seventeen: Lucky End

Faustine was out and about with Hop who unlike her 'twin' Thump, was much more outgoing and delighted to be with her mother versus running around and exploring the new world.

Hop was quiet as she looked around. She held her mother's hand, not as willing to leave her side as the others had been. "Mama, where am I supposed to go?"

"Where ever you feel where luck is needed."

"But I don't know where."

Hop and her mother wandered around the random city that Faustine entered. Despite the unfamiliarity of the lands, Faustine wasn't worried.

But after a entire morning of nothing happening, Faustine was a little worried. The others had been easy and quick, so she was bothered that Hop didn't seem to even care about the humans.

It hit Faustine then. "Hmmm…"

She spotted the dog, filthy but still full-figured. She realized it was a lost pet as she watched it rustle in the garbage.

"Honey, what about…" Faustine started to talk to Hop who tore off after the dog. Hop got on its level and spoke softly to it, offering a hand as it licked it and she then promptly hugged it. It's tail wagged once and then it was off, running. Unbeknownst to Faustine but clear to Hop, the luck gathered in the elderly dog as it sought its way back home, coming late into the afternoon as it stilled. Its owner came barreling out, beyond happy that their beloved pet was finally home, assured that it was pure luck that the dog was able to find its new home.

Hop was able to help another, this time a human as the teenaged girl rested on the ground, a tin cup at her side and a sign asking for money. Her eyes had been downcast, her clothes getting old and worn as she seemed to have lost hope. Hop tapped her shoulder just as the girl was about to cry and her face cleared.

It wasn't more than a few seconds when a car drove by, screeched to a halt, backtracked and a frantic woman came running out, sobbing for her runaway daughter. The daughter's arms wrapped around her mother, relieved to have finally been sought for.

"Aww, my little Hopper. You bring luck to the lost and afraid." Faustine hugged her tightly to her chest. "That's my girl!"

"What's your specialty, Mama?"

Faustine shrugged. "Well, I'm sort of a late bloomer. I think it deals with love, though."

"Ah.." Hop went on all fours and began to hop around playfully in some of the puddles. Faustine winced for each splash and every drop that landed on her.

"Well, at least it's not…"

There was a crash of lightning and rain began to fall.

"Raining." Faustine glared at the skies. "What about my luck?!"

The two returned home where Hop was collided with Thump who wanted all the fun details. Thump's eyes grew big with tears as Hop regaled her with the power of luck and the lost.

"That's so sweet!" Thump hugged Hop and then dragged her off to dinner.

"That's the last of them, save for Hitch but I guess he doesn't want to come out with me."

Bunny pulled Faustine to sit next to him. "So how'd it go?"

"I actually had a moment where I thought she wasn't going to find her niche. It made me a little happy, actually, even though it's not what I would've wanted. I mean, I still don't know my specific specialty.."

"But?"

"She deals in luck with the lost. Be it a pet or a child, or probably even an elderly person."

Bunny patted her head. "Aww, mate, you really wanted her to be like you."

"None of them are!"

He once more patted her on the head. She shooed him off. "I don't get it. They found their niche with no problems. When I was younger, and my mother and father working hard to teach me, it was so difficult for me. I could bring luck to others yes, but I couldn't keep it for myself. I didn't have what it took to use the luck whenever I needed it to. But then, I discovered you and it got better. I mean, look at our beautiful children? Your beautiful face and cute little cottontail…"

"My cute little cottontail?" He muttered softly as she continued talking.

"But.. There's still something missing. A name for this, a reason for all of that. I just can't figure it out and I feel like it's such a simple answer!"

"Maybe you're thinking too hard on it."

"Maybe." She shrugged. "I haven't seen much of the trolls. Jack must've scared them."

"Or they're preparing to do something. Even North is having trouble finding that group. The single trolls are fine but there's something about that group that bothers everyone."

"You mean about taking over the world? How old-school is that?"

"There are people out there who want something."

"Yes, yes. Pitch wanted to be known like you, instead of feared. I," She pointed to herself. "Want to be lucky. We're all not going to get what we want. That's not possible."

Bunny rolled his eyes as she became dramatic. "The world is full of wonderful lucky people, and I only have enough to give to the world, not able to keep it." She glared at her bell. "Grrr… I had so much luck when I was pregnant! Then it was taken from me and given to my children."

"Want to have more kids?"

"That's not funny!" She bristled. "I don't want luck just to get pregnant! I want luck that I can use! Like my parents when they need to defend and protect and make spells! Lately, it's just been on my mind and then my head hurts.." Her paws grasped at her head, pulling on her hair.

"All right, all right, you're thinking too hard, kit. Enough. Just sit, take a deep breath, and relax. All right, now count to ten.."

She stared at him with a blank stare, eyes narrowed.

"Well?"

"I'm not counting! I can't get calm! I can't get this or understand it or put it together!" She surged to her feet. "Augh!"

"Look, let's think about the trolls."

"Fine."

She plopped next to him, on her side as she stretched, her spine elongating as she curved into a backwards u shape.

Bunny blinked. "Doesn't that hurt?"

She sat up and lifted a leg to start cleaning herself. "Does what hurt?"

"Don't clean while we're having a conversation!"

"I'm versatile! Remember?"

"I can't take you seriously with your nose in your crotch!"

Bunny turned red as the sound of the children's snickering echoed behind him. "I'll teach you to eavesdrop on your parents! Get back here, you rascals!"

"Feh, I'm still freaking out. E's right, I should just stop thinking about it."

But as she listened to the distant sounds of Bunny losing the fight with the children, she felt bereft. She had wished vainly that she hadn't overheard Bunny's conversation about losing her. She had been confident at the time that nothing would happen but then she began to realize that luck for her was changing and she didn't know why or in what direction.

She looked upwards to the skies and wished to see the Moon. But she had never heard the voice of the Man in the Moon; in fact, none of her kind actually did. But she wanted to have someone tell hers something, a clue or detail, to just feel better about things.

She heard her bell ring lightly as she looked over to see Bunny overrun by the children as they ran all over him. He was on his front, arms crossed as his chin rested on his arms while he waited out the rush of the children. He winced time to time as the children weren't too cautious about their movements and claws were used.

She started to giggle as Bunny noticed this. She put herself in front of him as the children were now playing on him. Axel had an ear in his mouth, tugging anxiously while Hop and Hitch were tapping at his tail, each hit making twitch. Princessa was sitting on his leg, cleaning herself with long strokes of her tongue, dealing with her longer fur. Thump was his head, thumping near his arm in order to encourage him to wrestle with her.

"Having fun?" Faustine bent down, nose to nose to Bunny.

"I'm having a ball," He winced when claws swatted at his tail. "Just fine. Really. You don't have to do a thing."

"All righty, then!" Faustine licked his nose and was gone from sight in seconds.

"I WAS JOKING!"

"No, you weren't!" Came her voice. "Play nice, children!"

"Yea!"

Bunny glared out in general. "I see, this is revenge, isn't it?"

"DADDY!" Thump struck him in the head. "Come on, play!"

"Play? Play? All right then," He surged to his feet. The children looked at each other before tearing off with eagerness.

"When you all break up, I can't get any of you!"

He paused. "And that's probably the point."

Faustine was near an rabbit hole when she heard the sound of scuffling. She saw Hitch running around and smiled as she thought he was looking for a hiding spot. He liked to hide and pop out at his father, as much kittens enjoyed to do. Faustine even did it time to time though his reaction to her wasn't as a joke but something to be chased around about for.

But as she started to relax and clean herself again, there was a strange sound of motion, she heard Hitch's sudden squeak of pain and then a slash of something foreign over her instincts.

"Hitch!" She ran into the rabbit hole, coming to the end and seeing no sign of her son. "E! E!"

"What?" He was dragging himself, surrounded by the children yet again. They all fell off the moment they saw their mother and felt her panic.

"Hitch went into the hole and he's gone!"

It hit both of them, the sharp and awful smell of trolls. Bunny's rage was palpable.

"You stay with the children," Bunny began.

"Not on your life. You all are going to your grandparents!" She used the last of her luck to send them to her parents, both of them looking at surprise to see the children spill at their feet.

"Let's go!" She charged out into the rabbit hole, Bunny at her heels. They came to a dark and cold forest as Faustine shook herself against the sharp wind. The smell was much more stronger and pungent as she glowered.

Bunny held her back, pulling out his boomerangs. "You get to Hitch and take him to safety. I'll take care of the trolls."

"All right," She stayed behind him, low to the ground as they moved slowly. The sounds of a kitten yowling made both of them frantic as Faustine found herself bolting past Bunny.

"No!"

She was on the scene where Hitch was held up by Trow, who had his tongue to have a taste of the 'little morsel'.

She hissed and threw herself at his face, clawing and biting as Hitch fell to the ground.

"RUN!" Faustine screamed as Hitch made a portal and disappeared into the rabbit hole.

She was grabbed and thrown hard as she was struck into a batch of trees.

"Bigger kitty means bigger meal!" Trow hissed, drooling. "You foolish little thing!"

She dashed again, jumping onto him in her maternal rage. She clawed as his eyes as she relished in his screams of pain while she tore out the eyes, drawing gouges and blood.

Another grotesque hand grabbed at her, tightened as she felt several things snapped.

Then came a flurry of power she didn't recognize, all that stemmed from her. It shattered around the trolls, making them run from the site as Trow was lead away by his mate, Strife.

All that power vanished the instant they were gone as she fell into a heap, unable to move.

She was in pain, a pain she didn't recognize. She couldn't breathe right as light fingers danced on her skin.

"Kit… Kit!" Even his voice was distant as she tried so hard to move, to respond.

"Bunny!" Jack landed, followed by North and Sandy as they had been investigating the recent surge of violence against both the elementals and animals in the forgotten forest. "Oh, god.."

"Kit… don't.." His voice was soft as Bunny lifted her in his arms. She felt as if it were now or never to speak as she struggled so hard to do so. He turned her gently to him, hand cupping her head lightly.

"Hitch… safe?" She wheezed out.

"Yes… he escaped." Bunny smiled, watery eyed.

"Good.." Her eyes closed tightly. "E….. I'm… so sorry…"

"It'll be all right, love. Where's your luck?"

"I used it… all.. Up…" Her eyes opened, tears falling. "E…"

"Yes?" "I… love…you….." Her eyes slowly become half-closed as her breath exited and her chest stopped moving.

His grip tightened painfully. "Faustine? FAUSTINE!"


	19. Lucky Rabbit Chapter 18: Lucky Rabbit

Rise of the Guardians

Lucky Rabbit

Chapter Eighteen: Lucky Rabbit

The world was silent and still as Bunny held the lifeless body of his mate. His eyes were huge, his entire body ridged in pain. "No…" His voice rose sharply. "No, no, no! This isn't how it's supposed to be! Why must I be tormented like this?"

His fury turned upward to the full moon. "I can't.. I can't lose her! Do you hear me?!" His voice rose into screams. "She is the only reason I have hope! The only one who instilled it in me without even ever asking for anything in return save for a little attention! I gave her my heart and she's taken from me! TAKEN FROM ME!"

He fell to his knees, holding her closer to his heart. "I have spent centuries.. Centuries alone because I couldn't bear the thought of losing everything all over again. I had it all taken from me before. Please.. Don't do this to me. I know you can do something.. Take anything of me, my immortality, my powers, whatever it takes.."

He looked up, his ears back with a sad gaze as he looked to the moon. "Without her luck, I'm without my hope. If there is no hope, there is no spring, no life. But there is no life without my kit."

"No life, no luck, no hope.." He shuffled down, refusing to let her go. "It hurts.. Worse this time…because I wasn't expecting it. I wish.. Oh, god, I wish I had luck on my side.. If I only could've been faster, stronger, made her STAY like I wanted her to.."

"Faustine… my little kitten… please.." His voice was small. "Open your eyes for me. Come back to me, I beg you… without you, I have no light or life…."

His eyes closed painfully as Jack went to his side. He didn't touch the broken rabbit but stayed by his side as North looked up to the moon.

"Manny, you know what must be done." North said quietly. "We cannot all be alone, we must find what makes us whole. Please, Manny, hear him out…"

The moonlight danced along the surface of the ground, playing around in the grass as Bunny slowly looked up, all hope lost and filled with an anguish he was sure that was never to go away.

"Take my luck, take my life, take anything of me…" Bunny pleaded, aware that he was talking to a wall of silence. "Don't make me lose everything all over again…. Don't let me live because I won't survive."

"Kit…I love you, with everything that I am, that makes me you. You are who I am… and without you, I am nothing… I am so… sorry.. I wasn't able to protect you…"

"With no luck, there is no hope… with no hope, there is no luck.."

He was still refusing to put her down, refusing to give up that last shred of hope despite that he had watched her take her last breath.

That small, tiny bit of hope, a tiny speck of gold. Something so insignificant shouldn't have mattered to Faustine. She didn't know exactly where she was or how she got there, only that the world was white and bland and she was holding a tiny bit of luck.

Something so tiny and seemingly weak. And yet, as she held it, she could feel its unbelievable strength.

"Someone needs me… to give them luck…"

She couldn't remember who, though. Until a memory flashed in front of her eyes of large, twitching ears and a familiar thump on the ground.

"E…" She straightened, looking straight into the tiny bit of gold. She reached for her bell to give it the luck only to find that she had no bell nor collar.

"I don't understand… we need to contain the luck… don't we?"

She felt the waves of pain and suffering pass over her, in bits and pieces. She recognized it. "E… E! What's wrong? What's.. I have to find him…"

She held the small bit of luck tightly. "I have to protect this, I have to protect… I have to protect.."

Her eyes widened slowly. "It's been in front of me all this time… what luck I'm to bring, to instill.. But… is it too late for me? Am I gone forever?"

She straightened, furious. "NO! It's not over! I'm a cat, I have nine lives and I'll use them all if I have to! I won't give in or up! Do you hear me, I will not cross the Rainbow Bridge! No! Not when luck needs to be given to hope, for that is what I was meant for! To bring luck into hope, into E, into Easter and life and spring….so that it will continue forever for as long as we stand! For as long as I stand!"

"I won't give up! I won't!" Her cupped hands turned into a sun, light shining from that little seed of luck.

Her vision blurred and slowly filled like a puzzle, as the bits of moonlight upon her grew brighter and brighter. She felt safe and warm and loved, from different levels of existence.

The seed of luck had blossomed in her chest as she very slightly shifted in Bunny's grip.

The Moon then spoke to her, softly and gently as she took a staggering breath.

"Kit?" His voice was something she wished to hear, as well she longed to see him. Her vision slowly returned as she looked into bright green eyes.

"He.. He brought you back?" Bunny looked to the moon in gratitude.

Until she spoke. "No, E. He didn't…"

"Not completely," She corrected weakly. "I had… the last seed of luck… held in my hands… your luck, E. I've been so stupid…it's been in front of me the whole entire time. Why.. I fell in love with you. I am your luck… I am your hope and the luck that we can be together, make this world better.. I was here so that whenever you would break, I would fix you."

She breathed in his scent, a mixture of relief, giddiness, and a sense of happiness she wished to keep forever.

Her gaze went to the moon. "I wasn't strong enough to come back on my own. I could fight but it wasn't enough… so the Moon helped me."

"Manny, you did?" North breathed. "I thought he was silent. Did you hear him, Sandy?"

Sandy gave a thumbs up. Sandy always heard the Man in the Moon. He then made the crystal form above him as North goggled.

"He made her Guardian!" North danced around. "She is Guardian!"

"Guardian of what?" Jack asked next.

Bunny stood up, still holding her. "Are you all right?"

"You mean, healed?" She patted his chest comfortingly. "My bones have knitted but I'm still hurting. Put me down, though. I can walk."

His grip tightened. "Like Hell I will."

She sighed and rested on him.

"WELL?"

Jack poked at her as Bunny growled fiercely.

"I'm sorry but what Guardian is she?!"

"Of Luck. Duh," Faustine snorted and winced. "Ow."

"I'm taking you home and you're never leaving."

"I don't suppose we could talk about that?"

He growled even louder as she rested. "When I'm better, I'll argue. Right now, take me home."

He was careful at the Warren, putting her into the cat bed gently. He tucked her in as he left to find his patches of herbs. He searched and plucked at the various kinds before going to the fire pit where he boiled the plants in a pot.

"He made her a Guardian," He realized. "She's an Immortal. Was this what he was going to do or he did it because she asked him?"

He didn't know how it happened.

He became aware of many eyes on him. Still tense, he surged and threw out a boomerang with a shout.

They came back swinging as there was several points of movement as he was suddenly pinned to the ground by his children.

All save for Hitch was had placed himself next to his mother. He mewed softly and licked at her face as she opened her eyes tiredly and smiled at him. He nuzzled tightly against her, curling against her, his back to her chest as he, too, closed his eyes.

Bunny peered over the bed as the children were tugging at his arms.

"It's all right, they're just resting," Bunny said softly, though he didn't take his eyes off until he saw both of them take big breaths. "All right, all right, calm down."

He sat next to the cat bed as the children piled around him.

Thump and Hop hugged an arm while Princessa and Axel fought for his lap. Their eyes were big and expressive and Bunny knew that they knew something had happened. After all, Hitch had landed into the grandparents' Cat Haven in a broken heap, sobbing in both terror and pain.

Erik had been swift to heal him while Anabella cleaned his smaller wounds. The children all stuck around until they sensed the familiar pulls of their parents and disappeared on the grandparents, surprising them yet again when they went away.

"It'll be all right," Bunny repeated over and over, unable to say anything more. The pain in his chest finally unknotted and a sense of relief, still mixed with the terror of losing and the thoughts of anguish close at hand. His long arms wrapped tightly around all four of his children as a sob broke out.

When his tears started, theirs did and the family huddled together in comfort and tears.

Bunny didn't know how long he was asleep. He awoke in the cat bed, unsure of how he got there but that Faustine was pressed against him, snoring softly with Hitch at her hip, holding onto her fur tightly even in his sleep. He had Princessa at the other side, Axel nearly sleeping on his face and squishing his tail down while Thump and Hop slept at his feet, both of them nuzzled together.

He turned his attention to Faustine. The bell was silent for a change and he wondered suddenly if it were broken. He nosed her carefully, picking her scent out and reassuring himself that she was healing. Once done, Bunny fell back asleep.

It was Faustine that woke him up in the early morning. She'd managed to crawl out of the bed and was trying to stand up but she was still weak in the limbs.

She fell to her knees with grief. "God. I feel like a newborn kitten."

She heard the thud of Bunny and the patter of his feet as she looked upward to see him peering down at her.

"Morning. Can you help me up?"

"Right back into bed, I will."

"No, you won't. I need to walk around."

"I know what cats are like, Kit. You hide your pain and injuries like there's nothing wrong. But you are in the Warren, you are safe, and you will rest!"

He glowered at her as she looked down and then back up at him.

"Am I really a Guardian?"

Bunny blinked and then nodded. "Didn't he tell you?"

"I'm sure he did but I.. kind of wasn't listening…"

"Faustine, you never listen." He fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around her. "You said he helped bring you back."

"I got halfway, I think, before my energy gave out. I gave up all of my lives to return and for it, I received a new mission in life. Though, actually, I think it's quite nice. I get to be forever with you now instead of haunting you with my ghost!"

His grip tightened painfully as she winced. "Too soon to joke?"

"I lost you." His voice was rough, low. "You stilled in my arms, I shattered right then and there. I was willing to drive myself to the end. It's not something to joke about, Faustine. I cannot be without my source of hope."

"And I can't be without my source of luck," She licked an arm. "I knew we were meant to be.."

"We've already covered that fact," Bunny complained, nuzzling as he nipped on an ear. "Stay in bed, rest, take care of yourself. I need you whole."

"And once I'm whole, I will kill that stupid troll for stealing my Hitch," She enedd on a growl.

"I wanna fight too!" Hitch popped his head out. "I want revenge! He hurt Mama!"

"I want to too! Me too! I want to help! Let me fight, I'll show those ugly beasts!"

All five of them were peering out with fire in their eyes. Hitch was especially livid and determined looking.

Bunny stalled as Faustine patted him in comfort. "E. We're a family and we stick together. You're one of us, and we stand by you and fight with you. We can't hide when we're needed most. Luck is what will help us win in the end."

"Fine but you all need lots of training! I mean lots! And you all need to listen to me when I give an order!" He glared down at Faustine. "I'm talking to you, Kit!"

"Who says I never listen? I hear everything you say, I just chose to ignore it."

"You will not ignore me," He fixated a stern gaze on her as she smiled and then licked his nose. He groaned. "Take me seriously!"

"I can't when you look so adorably ferocious."

"I'm going to work you to the ground," He growled, pushing his forehead on her and pushing her into the ground.

"I look forward to it!" She responded cheerfully as the children snickered. Hitch rolled out and whimpered as Bunny lifted him by the scruff and then coddled him in his arm.

"Hitch," Faustine's eyes grew big. "You poor thing." She stretched out her arms. "Give him to me."

Bunny obediently gave up his son as she held Hitch in her arms.

"I think we need more shields," Faustine said quietly, looking over her shoulder. "And if we're all working on training, I want a bigger place to work with. You can make this place bigger, right?"

"I can. We'll work on the barriers first." Bunny tapped Hitch's head. "Make sure she stays in place."

"Can do!" Hitch then properly pinned down his mother as she shrieked indignantly.

"Come on, I need help!" Hitch told his siblings as they all fell onto their mother who glowered up at the skies.

"When I'm better, I will be sure to get my revenge!" She flailed under them, unable to get up. She stopped, panting and tired.

"How about I go into the bed?"

All five of them lifted her with unexpected ease and she was tossed upward into the bed. Her buttocks stuck out in the air as she glowered once more. "Geez! I'm a pushover!"


	20. Lucky Rabbit Author's Notes

BRise of the Guardians/B

ILucky Rabbit/I

UAuthor's Notes/U

BUCharacter Notes/U/B

BFaustine/B

At the start of the story, she was just a Maneki-Neko, an spirit of Luck that originated from Japan and spread across the country of America when her family migrated. Her race is not eternal but they do have long lifespan. As a Maneki-Neko, they mate for life and when they have children, it's often a moderately sized litters. To have only one kitten is irregular and often produces an predecessor considered a little odd - example would be Great Uncle Ai who is a Seer who dwells in the aspects of True Love rather than luck.

As such, Faustine was unable find her specialty in dealing with the aspects of luck in its various forms. She only got a hint of it and that was it dealt in love but it eventually turned out to be a very specific luck in love, that is, Bunny himself. She had to find this out the hard way when she held the last bit of luck she had and it had been from Bunny all along.

In the end of ILucky Rabbit/I, Faustine was 'reincarnated' into a new life - she really did sacrifice the nine lives that she had (considered reincarnations into the next life with the same aspects of power in luck) and was made into a Guardian.

She is now the Guardian of Luck, which does involve both versions (good and bad) but she obviously prefers the good version. As such, when she instills hope into Bunny, he instills luck into her, creating a roundabout infinite circle of powers that always interlock.

More abilities, as in new abilities, will surface and the first is the realization that the bell is now insignificant (though still symbolic). Other abilities will come around as I continue the story.

BBunny/B

While his kind don't mate for life (how else could he be with Faustine if that was so?), when he does fall in love, it is a form of true love. It just took him forever to admit it. His kind do repopulate at a quick succession so expect some more children. However, the next will deal with the aspects of Bunny that I haven't touched on -

Apparently, it's hinted that he can travel through space and time so that will come into affect when dealing with the next litter. I don't know when that'll be as I think I may be using that after this next continuation is complete (after IGuardian of Luck/I).

BHitch/B

He is exactly like his father, who works with Easter and Spring to bring both hope and rebirth. This makes him a Seer as he does not work with luck but rather with hope instead. His abilities haven't yet fully surfaced but it definitely will tie into the family as well as the other Maneki-Neko later on.

BThump/B

Her specialty is Luck in regards of the lost - be it an animal, person, or even an important object. Her luck will allow what she touches to return to its true place, no matter how far or how long it takes to get there.

BPrincessa/B

Her specialty is Luck in regards to memories, usually happy ones. The memories stir up luck in the hopes that the future will be better because of what that person has endured in the past and that they have been made stronger or weaker and they use luck in order to be better nonetheless.

BHop/B

Her specialty is Luck in regards to emotions, as in breaking up depression or making them happy in general. In bringing up the good side of emotions or reminding the target of how lucky they've been aside from what was bothering, she is able to create a happiness.

BAxel/B

His specialty is Luck in regards to courage or self-esteem. A bolster to create that lucky moment when you step outside the box and reach out to others, in hopes of being reached for in return.

BUGuardian of Luck Notes/U/B

For the next story, it's a direct continuation but under a new 'season' if you will called IGuardian of Luck/I. I've got a few ideas of what to do and I'm looking forward to it. The trolls will become the main plot versus the sub-plot of the story and we will see where the Trolls come from and if there's any good in that realm (or not, I really haven't decided).

BUFAQs/U/B

Got any questions you want answered? Depending on what you ask, I may be elaborate or I may be brief (as in to control any possible spoilers for the future chapters). Please keep the questions clean and be as clear as you can so I can answer to the full extent.


	21. Lucky Rabbit Note to Readers

To my watchers! Please go to Guardian of Luck which is the direct continuation of Lucky Rabbit! So you can continue enjoying the story as it goes on.


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